Pope’s last Sunday blessing draws large crowd at Vatican

Mangalore Today News Network

Vatican City, Feb 25, 2013: Pope Benedict XVI celebrated his final Sunday blessing in front of a massive crowd in St. Peter’s Square, even as a controversy alleging a network of gay clergy working within the Vatican walls grew.

Benedict did not address the controversy directly, though he did explain his reasons for becoming the first pope in nearly 600 years to abdicate.

 

"The Lord God has called me to go to the top of the hill in order to dedicate myself again to prayer and to meditation," Benedict told the tens of thousands of faithful gathered for the blessing. "But this does not mean I shall abandon the church."

Sunday was not the 85-year-old’s last public appearance. He is expected to perform his traditional Wednesday blessing at St. Peter’s, and he may also be visible on Thursday as he officially ends his papacy, leaving the Vatican for several weeks of repose in the mountain village of Castel Gandolfo, near Rome.

 

 

The crowd on hand Sunday was emotional, with several shouting "We love you!" and "God bless you!" and many waving flags and holding up signs of support when the pope appeared at his apartment window to give his traditional Angelus prayer and a short sermon. "Thank you all for your affection," he told the crowd in response. Benedict closed his appearance by telling the crowd, "Let us always be close in prayer."

Under his handle @pontifex, Pope Benedict also tweeted Sunday, "In these momentous days, I ask you to pray for me and for the Church, trusting as always in divine Providence."

"It’s saddens me, to see such a great man reduced by age and poor health," said Donatella Pasquino, 70, a restaurant owner who fought back tears as Sunday’s blessing drew to a close. "We are lucky our lives have been touched by him. God bless him."

Todd Allen Andrews, 54, a business consultant from Toledo, said he came to Rome after hearing Benedict’s plans to resign.

"The pope is God’s representative on earth, but he is still human and he is limited by the same human frailties that touch everyone," he said.

Missy Andrews, 51, his wife, added: "We are great admirers of the Holy Father and we had been planning to come to Rome for some time. His resignation convinced us to come now."

Courtesy: USA Today