TOPSHOTS People pass by a placard of the city of Rome in homage to Pope Benedict XVI on March 1, 2013 in Rome. Pope Benedict XVI has become the day before the first pope to resign in over 700 years, telling a tearful crowd of faithful that he will now be "a simple pilgrim" as cardinals on Friday begin preparing for a conclave in the Sistine Chapel to elect his successor. AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS