Helicopter, rising into a brilliant blue sky, rounding st. Peters and the coliseum. Within minutes, the arrival at castel gandolfo, the vacation retreat of popes. Crowds greeting him outside his new, temporary, home. And then, one last time as pope, benedict stood on a balcony. He spoke, saying, i am no longer the pontiff of the catholic church. I am simply a pilgrim, beginning the last leg of his pilgrimage on this earth. [ speaking Foreign Language ] reporter after blessing the faithful, he disappeared. And hours later, at 8 00 p. M. Local time, those swiss guards leaving their post. The gates closing. One chapter ends, a new one begins. Benedict told the cardinals today that he will be close to them in prayer as they choose his replacement. And diane, tonight, this 2,000yearold church, steeped in tradition, is improvising its way into a new reality. All right, george, our thanks to you. And, of course, tonight, at the vatican, the papal apartment has been sealed with a red ribbon, a
New york city may not be out of the path of it. Early, early shots out of minneapolis overnight and into the morning, were showing much but light snow. But its coming. 19 states have watches, warnings, or advisories. It will be two lows that form together. It kind of is all the way today through tuesday into this zone. Chicago, minneapolis, this is the first area that gets snow. Then it puts itself together with another low. Becomes the storm system that gets closer to washington, d. C. The western mountains of virginia, picking up a big hit. Will this thing crawl up the coastline and deliver snow for jersey and into new york . Well watch it. Well be watching. And now to Queen Elizabeth, just out of the hospital, and recovering from an apparent stomach virus, the first time that she has been hospitalized in a decade. And abcs Jeffrey Kofman is in london with the latest. Good morning, jeffery. Reporter good morning to you, robin. A smiling Queen Elizabeth left the hospitals just minutes
Meeting one by one with the cardinals who will choose his successor and he might be facetoface with the next pope in just a few minutes on this last day on the throne of st. Peter. Good morning. Welcome to this special edition of early start. Im john berman. And im zoraida sambolin. Wed like to welcome our viewers from around the world on cnn international. Its the top of the hour, thursday, february 28th. We are witnessing history in the making. No one alive has ever seen a sitting pope step down. It is all unfolding right now and by 2 00 p. M. Eastern, Pope Benedict xvi becomes pope emeritus. But there is still a lot to do before then. The meeting at this hour with the cardinals who will ultimately choose his replacement. Over 100 of them plan to be on hand. The pontiff will spended i ed a or two with each of them. And then Cardinal Sodano will speak. The departure of this pope after what really has been a turbulent eightyear reign leaves the Catholic Church in unchartered waters rig
Marking the centenary of the first plenary council of the Catholic Church in China, the Vatican hosted a conference earlier this week on challenges and opportunities for Chinese Catholics.
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