Roman Catholic Church

Is he resigning or retiring?  The answer is in  the semantics that surround the announcement that Pope Benedict XVI will step down officially on Thursday, February 28th - the first pontiff to do so since the Middle Ages.  It's natural to wonder what will happen to the Pope afterwards?

While it's been over 600 years since the Roman Catholic Church has had to find a new Pope following a resignation, the election process remains the same as it does for choosing a successor following the death of the pontiff.  What might be different this time around is the influence that American cardinals have on the process.