Photo: Reuters

Pope Benedict XVI officially resigned, ending an eight-year pontificate, on Thursday evening. Thursday morning the pope left the Vatican to the cheers of the crowd as the bell of St. Peter’s Basilica rang throughout Vatican City. The same day, he visited Castel Gandolfo, summer villa of the pope outside Rome, to say goodbye to citizens. This was his last appearance as head of the Roman Catholic Church. Benedict plans to stay at Castel Gandolfo for several months before returning to a monastery on a hill near Vatican City. In the coming days, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone will hold a meeting of cardinals to decide the date of the papal conclave which will include 115 cardinals under 80 years of age.