Irish Catholics express shock as Pope Benedict XVI resigns 11 February 2013 Last updated at 14:24 Catholics in Ireland have reacted with shock at the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. He is to resign at the end of February, after nearly eight years as the head of the Catholic church, saying he is too old to continue at the age of 85. Outside St Paul's church on the Falls Road in Belfast, parishioners spoke of their shock at the news. Several Mass goers said that while they will be sorry to see the Pope go, they hope to see a younger person take over. Speaking at St. Oliver Plunkett church in Lenadoon, west Belfast, Father Martin Magill said the news "came completely out of the blue, I had no idea." Reflection "Someone sent me an email and I read it several times" he said. "It's a very humble statement," he added. It's very much an acknowledgment of the huge responsibility that the role comes with. At 78, one of the oldest new popes in history when elected in 2005 Born in Germany in 1927, joined Hitler Youth during WWII and was conscripted as an anti-aircraft gunner but deserted As Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger spent 24 years in charge of Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith - once known as the Holy Office of the Inquisition A theological conservative, with uncompromising views on homosexuality and women priests Northern Ireland deputy first minister Martin McGuinness said: "The announcement of Pope Benedict's resignation has taken everyone by surprise. Interest understandably centres on his health and the deteriorating nature of it. The resignation of a Pope is a most unusual occurrence and this clearly suggests that Pope Benedict's has such very serious concern about his health that he feels he must resign. The thoughts and prayers of everyone will be for Pope Benedict. I hope that the lifting of the onerous weight of the responsibilities of such an important world leader will ease the burden on him in his retirement. The Anglican archbishop of Armagh, Dr Richard Clarke said: "We express a warm gratitude for the example of total dedication, humility and service that Pope Benedict displayed throughout his ministry. A scholar of great intelligence and learning, he was also a deeply self-effacing and spiritual human being. His clear devotion to the Lordship of Jesus Christ shines out in his prolific literary heritage to us. Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has said that he believed that history would look at the Pope in a "varied way." Dr Martin said that Pope Benedict had a very clear understanding of some of the moral problems in the church and he had addressed them "head on." "He was a man who wanted to know a lot about what was happening in Irish society, not in a way of pointing fingers, but of trying to learn and asking me and the Irish church where are we in today's society." he said. Sense of duty The archbishop said Pope Benedict was a private person and that he has a "great personal affection" for him. He said the Pope was "happiest when he was writing." Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Enda Kenny, who criticised the Vatican for its response to the abuse scandals in Ireland, wished Pope Benedict well and said he had given "strong leadership" to the church. "This is clearly a decision which the holy father has taken following careful consideration and deep prayer and reflection," he said. It reflects his profound sense of duty to the church, and also his deep appreciation of the unique pressures of spiritual leadership in the modern world. Irish deputy prime minister (Tanaiste), Eamon Gilmore, said that like most people in Ireland his immediate concern was for the Pope's health. Mr Gilmore wished him well in his retirement, describing him as someone who had made a huge contribution to working towards world peace. One of the Pope's former students, Fr Vincent Twomey, has said the Pope did not look well the last time he saw him. Goodbye Speaking on Irish state broadcaster RTÉ's News at One, Fr Twomey, the Professor Emeritus of Moral Theology at NUI Maynooth, said he was shocked at the Pope's resignation, but in hindsight he had given "some signals" in an interview last year. He also said that at a gathering of the Pope's former doctoral students last summer, Fr Twomey said the Pope was very alert, but very "tired-looking." Fr Twomey said: "We all felt he looked grey and tired, and shrivelled, to a certain extent. Then he came the following day and said Mass for us and then joined us for breakfast. After breakfast he did something rather strange, which he never did before. He got up, as we thought, to leave, but he came over and he said: 'No, no, I just want to greet each one of you'. And I thought at the time, did he want to say goodbye? It looks like he did. The unexpected development - the first papal resignation in nearly 600 years - surprised governments, Vatican-watchers and even his closest aides. The then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger became Pope after John Paul II's death. The Vatican says it expects a new Pope to be elected before Easter.