With his resignation nearing, Pope Benedict XVI will soon be given the new title of "Pope Emeritus" and adhere to a newly created set of specific rules outlining the details of his retirement.

The last time a pope resigned from the position of the Bishop of Rome was in the 15th century with Pope Gregory XII. Given the scarcity of previous examples, officials at the Vatican have laid out what the soon-to-be former pontiff will do, where he will live, and even what he will wear.

Benedict XVI will be dubbed "pope emeritus" to reflect his former position. However, he will still be referred to as "His Holiness," a common term used for the pope. more >>

Just ahead of his official retirement, Pope Benedict XVI delivered his final address to over 150,000 faithful at St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, where he recalled the joys and difficulties of his papacy.

"I took this step (resignation) in full awareness of its gravity and novelty but with profound serenity of spirit," the pope said before the hundreds of thousands that gathered to see the Roman Catholic Church leader one last time.

In his speech, the 85-year-old pontiff, whose papacy began in April 2005, recalled the "joy and light" of his service as well as moments of difficulty when "it seemed like the Lord was sleeping." more >>

Bullying is not a new phenomenon; it's as old as man. But bullying has reached a point of near epidemic proportions, with one in four children experiencing bullying and up to 35 percent of the U.S. workforce reporting being bullied at work. Bullying is wrong, and should have no defenders.

Bullying knows no boundaries. It's not just boys on the playground or people at work; it can even be organizations on the national stage as was revealed in a federal courtroom on February 6th.

What was unveiled in the court chambers was the reality that some of the nation's biggest bullies hide behind the façade of being against bullying! more >>

Pope Benedict XVI delivered his last Sunday blessing at St. Peter's Square at the Vatican before he officially resigns as leader of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday.

"This doesn't mean abandoning the church," the pontiff told the cheering crowd on Sunday. "On the contrary, if God asks me, this is because I can continue to serve – with the same dedication and the same love which I have tried to do so until now, but in a way more suitable to my age and to my strength."

Vatican officials recently denied reports linking Benedict's decision to step down to the growing sex abuse scandal the church has been involved in over the past decade. Some online reports claimed that the pontiff was resigning because of legal action being taken against him over his alleged involvement in the church's priest sex abuse scandal. more >>

As Pope Benedict XVI is scheduled to soon step down, a recently released poll indicates that Catholics in America are almost equally divided over what direction the Roman Catholic Church should take.

In a report by the Pew Research Center released Thursday, 46 percent of Catholics surveyed believed the Church should "move in new directions," while 51 percent believed the Church should "maintain traditional positions."

Other findings included 74 percent of Catholics holding a favorable opinion of Pope Benedict XVI, 60 percent of Catholics wanting a Pope from the developing world, and 58 percent of Catholics in favor of priests being allowed to marry. more >>

A rumor swirling around online claims that Pope Benedict XVI is stepping down because of legal action being taken against him over his alleged involvement in the Roman Catholic Church's priest sex abuse scandal.

Addicting Info, a left-wing website devoted to debunking right-wing ideas, posted a story last Thursday claiming that there was an arrest warrant from an unknown European country.

"…the Pope, whose given name is Joseph Ratzinger, has a meeting with the Italian President, Giorgio Napolitano on February 23 to beg for immunity against prosecution for allegations of child sex crimes," wrote Shannon Barber of Addicting Info. more >>