At 8 p.m. Thursday, Pope Benedict XVI will become the first pope in more than 600 years to retire.
The cardinals of the Roman Catholic church will meet in Rome this week to bid farewell to Pope Benedict as well as to decide when the conclave will begin to elect the next pope.
The church has said it plans to have a new pope in place before Easter on March 31.
Speculation has already started on who might be the next pope, including Cardinal Sean O'Malley of the Archdiocese of Boston.
What issues in the Roman Catholic Church would you like to see the next pope address? What qualities would you like to see in the next pope? Let us know in the comments section.