Editing Pope (section)

=== Resignation ===
{{Main|Papal resignation}}
It is highly unusual for a pope to resign.<ref>As the reign of the pope has conventionally been from election until death, papal resignation is an uncommon event. Before the 21st century, only five popes unambiguously resigned with historical certainty, all between the 10th and 15th centuries.</ref> The [[1983 Code of Canon Law]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P16.HTM |title=Code of Canon Law – IntraText |access-date=15 March 2020 |archive-date=16 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200516193905/http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P16.HTM |url-status=live}}</ref> states, "If it happens that the Roman Pontiff resigns his office, it is required for validity that the resignation is made freely and properly manifested but not that it is accepted by anyone." [[Benedict XVI]], who vacated the Holy See on 28 February 2013, was the most recent to do so, and the first since [[Gregory XII]]'s resignation in 1415.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/feb/11/benedict-placehold-pope-weakened-church |title=Benedict, the placeholder pope who leaves a battered, weakened church |work=The Guardian |date=11 February 2013 |access-date=12 February 2013 |last=Brown |first=Andrew |archive-date=1 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130301180614/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/feb/11/benedict-placehold-pope-weakened-church |url-status=live}}</ref>