It has been 10 years since Pope Benedict XVI announced his shock resignation. It was the first time in almost 600 years that a pope had stepped down.

In this programme, we hear stories about the history of the papacy, including how a pope is chosen, the inception of Vatican II and what happens when a pope dies.

Contributors:

Giovanna Chirri - former Ansa journalist

Catherine Pepinster - former editor of Catholic newspaper, The TabletCormac Murphy-O'Connor - CardinalJohn Strynkowski - MonsignorBeniamino Stella - Cardinal Don Davide Tisato - former professional footballer Felice Alborghetti - journalist from the Centro Sportivo Italiano

(Photo: Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Credit: Getty Images)