Pope Benedict says he will resign on Feb 28 because he no longer has the strength to fulfil the duties of his office

Italian news agencies are reporting that Pope Benedict XVI, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and one of the most important religious figures in the world, is to resign on 28 February - the first Pope to do so since 1415. Here we look back at the long - and occasionally controversial - life of the man who is the spiritual leader to more than one billion Catholics worldwide.