Pope Benedict XVI Officially Steps Down

Pope Benedict XVI shocked the world a little over two weeks ago when he announced he would resign from his position and officially step down as the head of the Roman Catholic Church. Today, February 28, 2013 marks the final day of Benedict's papacy.

Benedict will be remembered for bringing the church into the information age, stepping up the ancient religion's efforts in social media, and famously becoming the first Pope to open a Twitter account.

Benedict will also be remembered for controversy, whether it be the infamous "VatiLeaks" scandal in which hundreds of confidential church documents were leaked to the press and published in a scathing tell-all book, or the well publicized sex abuse coverup allegations which remained a dark cloud over Benedict that mired his reign.

Pope Benedict plans to briefly retire to Castel Gandalfo, a small town outside Rome before returning to the Vatican to live out his days in a convent house within the holy city.