Pope Benedict 'Will Not Interfere In Choosing New Pope'

Pope Benedict XVI will not interfere in choosing his successor after his shock decision to resign at the end of the month, the pontiff's brother has said. Georg Ratzinger told the BBC the Pope would only "make himself available" if he were needed. Benedict said on Monday he would resign after nearly eight years as the head of the Catholic Church because he was too old to continue at the age of 85. The Vatican now says it expects a new Pope to be elected before Easter. The unexpected development - the first papal resignation in nearly 600 years - surprised governments,...