Popes
Stories about the history of the papacy, including Benedict XVI's resignation
The History Hour · BBC World Service
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Show Notes
It has been 10 years since Pope Benedict XVI announced his shock resignation. It was the first time in almost 600 years that a pope had stepped down.
In this programme, we hear stories about the history of the papacy, including how a pope is chosen, the inception of Vatican II and what happens when a pope dies.
Contributors:
Giovanna Chirri - former Ansa journalist Catherine Pepinster - former editor of Catholic newspaper, The Tablet Cormac Murphy-O'Connor - Cardinal John Strynkowski - Monsignor Beniamino Stella - Cardinal Don Davide Tisato - former professional footballer Felice Alborghetti - journalist from the Centro Sportivo Italiano
(Photo: Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Credit: Getty Images)