Retiring Pope Benedict XVI tells priests he will be “hidden to the world”

Retiring Pope Benedict XVI told Rome's parish priests that he will be "hidden to the world" after he steps down, CBS News reported.

On Thursday, he gave an emotional farewell to the cardinals who will elect the next pope, according to Fox News.

The comments come as the Vatican confirmed Benedict hit his head during a trip to Mexico in 2012. However, the church said the accident did not play a major factor in the Pope's decision to retire, CBS News explained.

Benedict is the first pope to resign from the Catholic Church in 600 years.

More from GlobalPost: Pope Benedict XVI leads his final mass on Ash Wednesday (VIDEO)

The Vatican also confirmed Monsignor Georg Gaenswein will continue on as Benedict's private secretary and live in retirement with him in the Vatican gardens, Fox News wrote.

Will you support The World with a monthly donation?

Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.

Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!