Pope Benedict XVI Final Papal Audience Video

Culture

Pope Benedict XVI delivered his final papal audience Wednesday from a stage set up in St. Peter's Square. He said there had been "many days of sunshine" but also "times when the water was rough ... and the Lord seemed to sleep." However, @Pontifex also said that  even as the church passes through stormy seas, God will "not let her sink" (the statement is interpreted by many as a reference to the series of child sex abuse scandals and corruption claims that have rocked the Roman Catholic Church during his administration). Benedict also used his last general audience to call for "a renewal of faith" and speak of his own spiritual journey through eight years as leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. He added that his strength was fading, but that he had taken the step of resignation "with a deep peace of mind." "Loving the church also means having the courage to make tough choices," he concluded.