Some of the papal secrets of the Vatican were revealed after Pope Benedict XVI announced plans to resign from his position as leader of the Catholic Church.

One of the secrets revealed by a Vatican spokesperson on Thursday was that Pope Benedict XVI hit his head in March while on a trip to Mexico. The pope also secretly had a pacemaker installed several years ago, and underwent a secret operation to replace its battery within the last three months.

The Vatican downplayed the pontiff's head injury and stated that the replacement of the pacemaker battery was just a routine procedure, according to The Atlantic Wire.

It is unclear for how long the pope planned on resigning and just how long the Vatican knew before it was publically announced.

The secret health troubles of Pope Benedict XVI may be a part of the overall concerns about the pope which led to his announcement to leave the papacy on February 28.

The church also hid the pope's the new residency currently under construction that the pontiff will reside in during his retirement.

The church maintains its secrets with the help of those employed by the Vatican who have a duty to keep their lips tightly sealed.

Author John Thavis, who previously investigated the inner workings of the Catholic Church for his book The Vatican Diaries, was quoted by The Associated Press that a job with the Holy See means protecting its secrets.

"You have to understand that actually every Vatican employee and official takes an oath of secrecy when they assume their job," Thavis said. "And this isn't something that is taken lightly. They swear to keep secret any office matters and anything pertaining to the pope."

The last major public event Pope Benedict XVI presided over was Ash Wednesday. A new pope is expected to take over the church duties by Easter, according to Bloomberg.