On Feb. 11, Pope Bendict XVI announced that he will resign from the papacy, effective Feb. 28. He has been in office for less than eight years and is the first Pope to resign since 1415.

He cited his “advanced age” as the reason for his resignation, according to the New York Times. Reverend Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman, said that they hope to have a new Pope by Easter, but said that an election at that time is “not an announcement, it’s a hypothesis.”

“We were all shocked and saddened to hear the news of the Holy Father’s resignation … It’s unprecedented since a papal resignation has not happened in 598 years,” Campus Minister Patti Murphy Dohn said. “We are living a new chapter of Church history and our students and faculty will witness this next stage as it unfolds.”

Martha Schick is the Multimedia Chief for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.