Pope Benedict’s final address occurred this morning. According to a Feb. 27 Reuters report, a whopping 150,000 people gathered to hear him speak.
The pope said his resignation was for the good of the Roman Catholic Church and that the decision was a difficult one. He explained that he is simply too old and weak to lead a Church overrun with so many problems, including priests sexually abusing children and the scandal of leaked confidential Vatican documents. These documents show rivalry and corruption among Vatican leaders.
Pope Benedict had the support of the crowd as he give his last public speech. The supporters clapped and held banners wishing the pope well. Those in the crowd commended him for humbly doing what he thought was the right decision for the Church.
Pope Benedict is the first to resign from his position in 600 years. The move shocked many Catholics, but not all were saddened to see him step down, some even referring to him as a “disaster” as a leader for the Church.
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