This week ABC News will cover all the pageantry and ceremonial events leading up to the Pope's historic resignation. ABC News will provide extensive coverage on "Good Morning America," "World News with Diane Sawyer," "Nightline," ABC News Radio and its digital platforms as Pope Benedict XVI says farewell in Rome, Italy.
On Thursday, February 28
ABC News will broadcast two special reports to the
ABC Television Network at approximately 5:00 a.m. and 10:45 a.m., ET, marking the final events of Pope Benedict's papacy.
George Stephanopoulos will anchor from the Vatican. "Nightline" co-anchor
Terry Moran,
David Wright, Ron Claiborne, Cokie Roberts and
ABC News Global Affairs anchor
Christiane Amanpour will join Stephanopoulos in Rom
E. Wright covered the death of Pope
John Paul II and the selection of Pope Benedict XVI for
ABC News in 2005. Cokie Roberts, whose mother served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican, will provide historical perspective throughout ABC's coverage.
Stephanopoulos will co-anchor "Good Morning America" from the Vatican on Wednesday, February 27 and Thursday, February 28. Moran will anchor "Nightline" from Rome on Wednesday and Thursday.
In March when the cardinal electors convene for the conclave to elect a new pope,
Diane Sawyer will lead
ABC News' coverage from Rome. More information on ABC's coverage of the conclave will be announced in the coming weeks.
ABC News Digital will provide complete, live-streamed coverage of the farewell to Pope Benedict XVI beginning with the
ABC News Special Report at 5:00 a.m., ET, followed by live coverage of the Pope's departure from the Vatican at approximately 10:45 a.m., ET. Special live stream coverage will be available throughout the day across ABCNews.com, Yahoo! News, GoodMorningAmerica.com,
ABC News' iPad & iPhone apps,
ABC affiliate websites,
ABC News Mobile properties, as well as on the
ABC News
Youtube channel. Editorial content will include live blog updates, video highlights and interactive slideshows featuring the top cardinal contenders, factoids and embedded 3-D animations of the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel.
ABC News Radio will provide extensive coverage of the Pope's resignation anchored by correspondent Aaron Katersky. He will be joined by correspondent Tom Rivers reporting from Rome.
ABC News Radio will provide two one-minute status reports each hour from 5:00 a.m. through 3:00 p.m., ET on the resignation on February 28 with the latest updates throughout the day.
ABC NewsOne, the network's affiliate news service, will provide full coverage with live reports from Rome with
ABC News correspondent Nick Schifrin for more than 200
ABC affiliates, stations and clients.
Marc Burstein is the senior executive producer of
ABC News Special Events.
