This file picture taken on December 31, 2012 shows Pope Benedict XVI arriving to pray in front of the nativity crib in Saint Peter's Square after celebrating the Vespers and Te Deum prayers in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI on February 11, 2013 announced he will resign on February 28, a Vatican spokesman told AFP, which will make him the first pope to do so in centuries. (Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty Images)

Pope Benedict XVI resigns: Key facts and what happens now

Pope Benedict XVI (AP)Pope Benedict XVI has become the first pope to resign since 1415, and likely the first pope ever to resign citing health reasons and advancing age, though Catholic law has always provided for a resignation from the pope that was "freely made and properly manifested." Here's a breakdown of what likely comes next in this unprecedented situation.The contenders to replace himAccording to AP, they include Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan, Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, the archbishop of ...