Reading between the lines here it seems that the last pope to walk out was only appointed in the first place to confirm some local warlord's pet treaty, then resigned and got paid off posthumously with a canonisation. Prior to that, another Benedict was in the habit of selling his own papacy off and then reclaiming it: a sort of three pope monte thing.
As for the current incumbent, he always had a bit of the 'caretaker manager' about him.
UPDATE: I endorse this message.
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