Shock, disbelief and confusion - Pope Benedict's surprise resignation on Monday has drawn strong reactions from Catholics around Europe.<br/> <br />The 85-year-old German-born pontiff stunned the world when he said he no longer had the mental and physical strength to carry on.<br/> <br />In staunchly Catholic Spain, where three out of four are Catholic, some expressed disbelief.<br/> <br />This woman says she had never heard anything like it before. "The pope has to be there until he dies," she says.<br/> <br />Visitors to Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral were also surprised though some welcomed the move, in the wake of several sex scandals coming to light under Benedict's reign.<br/> <br />SOUNDBITE) (English) IRISH TEACHER CHRIS FORD (CATHOLIC) SAYING:<br/> <br />"Maybe it'll be a chance for the Church to regenerate. I think resigning might ultimately be a good thing."<br/> <br />Meanwhile, in Poland, the birthplace of Benedict's predecessor John Paul II, there was shock and sadness.<br/> <br />This couple say they simply don't believe it while this Warsaw resident says it is a "great loss".<br/> <br />Another woman coming out of mass said she had liked Benedict as he had continued the teachings of John Paul II.<br/> <br />The resignation, which has shocked even Benedict's closest aides, is the first by a pontiff since the Middle Ages.
