Pope Benedict’s final Angelus blessing
Pope Benedict XVI gave his last Angelus address in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City on Sunday.
Pope Benedict gave his final blessing Sunday in Vatican City. He told the crowd of about 100,000 that he was not abandoning the church and would enter a life of prayer.
Vincenzo Pinto
Benedict told the crowd of about 100,000 people that he was not abandoning the church and would enter a life of prayer.
The 85-year-old pope is retiring this month, the first pontiff to do so in almost 600 years.
Bendict told the crowd: "The Lord is calling me to go on top of the hill, to dedicate myself once more to prayer and meditation."
"But this does not mean to abandon the church."