Pope Benedict XVI is officially resigning tomorrow, Thursday, February 28, and made his final public general address earlier today, which referenced "difficult moments" that surprised the world. The soon-to-be name Emeritus Pope had a relatively reserved papacy, attempting to keep the controversies of the Church quiet and private. But today's speech saw a resigning Pope finally addressing the issues and thanking his followers for sticking with him throughout. "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," Benedict said to a crowd of around 150,000.
The 85-year-old Pope stunned the world when he announced his resignation on February 11 of this year. This is the first resignation of a Pope in 600 years. Since the announcement, rumors have been spreading about the reasons why he decided to step down. The Catholic Church said that it was for health reasons but many speculated that it was due to controversy. During his reign, child molestation charges against the church had come to light and the cases were kept secret or dealt with in private. Some say that lead to mounting stress and embarrassment of Benedict. In today's speech, he said that he told God that his appointment was "a great burden" placed on his shoulders.
"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. But I always knew that God was in that boat and I always knew that the boat of the Church is not mine, is not ours, but is his and he will not let it sink," he added.
Reflecting on his contentious decision to resign his post, Benedict said, "I took this step in full awareness of its gravity and novelty but with profound serenity of spirit." He will spend the rest of his life in a new monastery under the title Emeritus Pope and will wear a white cassock and brown shoes.
Benedict also asked the faithful to pray for the cardinals during the process of choosing his successor. There are a total of 115 "cardinal electors" scheduled to take part in the election of the next Pope. The actual date of this secret vote or conclave has yet to be announced but will be within 15 to 20 days after the Pope's last day.
