A northern Catholic school board says it's creating new curriculum in light of the Pope's decision to resign.

In a statement on Vatican Radio's website Monday, 85-year-old Pope Benedict XVI said his health was the reason for his retirement. He said his strength over the last few months had deteriorated to the point where he couldn't fulfill his duties.

Pope Benedict XVI leaves at the end of a mass at the St. Peter Basilica in Vatican February 9, 2013. A Catholic school board in northern Ontario is changing its curriculum to help students understand his resignation. (Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters)

Sister Pat Carter of the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board said the retirement of the Pope could be a good teaching opportunity. She said students will be taught about the role of a Cardinal and how the new pope will be elected.

She added students who see the media coverage of the Pope's resignation may have questions and there must be a curriculum in place to answer them.

"[Students are] going to be curious about what is the big deal of all of this, so we're going to try and prepare them to understand," Carter said.

"We have to figure out what are the questions they have."

Some younger students thought "it was the same process as the royal family and that the pope was related to Jesus and that's why he became the pope," she said.

"So we look at what the students already know ... and then we take it from there and speak to them about what it is that will happen."