THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Pope has told a huge crowd of followers that his papacy had moments of joy but at times is "seemed like the Lord was sleeping", in his last audience in St Peter's Square.
Addressing an estimated 150,000 people in St Peter's Square the day before he steps down, Benedict said his crisis-hit papacy had included moments of joy but also difficulty when, "It seemed like the Lord was sleeping."
Benedict XVI referred to "stormy waters and headwinds" during his pontificate, but he said God would not let the Church "sink".
"The Lord gave us days of sun and of light breeze, days in which the fishing was good. There were also moments when there were stormy waters and headwinds," he said.
Benedict thanked his cardinals, colleagues and ordinary faithful for their support and for respecting his decision to become the first pope in 600 years to resign. He said that "to love the church means also to have the courage to take difficult, painful decisions, always keeping the good of the church in mind, not oneself."
He told thousands that his decision to resign "is the fruit of a serene trust in God's will and a deep love of Christ's church." » | Chris Irvine, and Nick Squires in The Vatican City | Wednesday, February 27, 2013
My comment:
I am not a Roman Catholic, but I firmly believe that Pope Benedict XVI has been a wonderful pope. His words have often touched me profoundly. That has never happened to me before.
This man has charisma – in German, one might call it eine Ausstrahlung – that is quite unique. For his age, he is a very handsome man, with a truly wonderful smile and warmth.
His erudition is remarkable, as is his dedication to the RC Church and faith. For me, this is a sad day, though I respect fully his reasons for resigning.
It is to be hoped that he will be able to enjoy his retirement, with sound health. I feel sure that the rest of his life will be dedicated to the Church.
May God bless Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. – © Mark
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THE GUARDIAN: Pope Benedict XVI's final audience - in pictures »
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINER ZEITUNG: „Gott wird seine Kirche nicht kentern lassen“: Unter dem Jubel Hunderttausender hat Benedikt XVI. auf dem Petersplatz seine letzte Generalaudienz eröffnet. In seiner Audienz dankte Benedikt den Gläubigen - und sprach von „schwierigen Momenten“ in seinem Pontifikat. » | Mittwoch, 27. Februar 2013
LE FIGARO: Les adieux émouvants du pape Benoît XVI : À la veille de sa démission historique, Benoît XVI a été acclamé par une foule chaleureuse, mercredi au Vatican. Il a assuré que «Dieu ne laisse pas couler la barque» de l'Eglise. » | Envoyé special du Figaro à Rome | mercredi 27 février 2013
