UPDATE: Pope Benedict: Eight years as pope capped long minis

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Retired Pope Benedict XVI, who had an impressive record as a teacher and defender of the basics of Catholic faith, is likely to go down in history books as the first pope in almost 600 years to resign.

He died Dec. 31 at the age of 95, nearly 10 years after leaving the papacy to retire to what he said would be a life of prayer and study.

Pope Francis was scheduled to celebrate his predecessor's funeral Jan. 5 in St. Peter's Square. Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican pr

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