Pope Benedict XVI delivered his final public prayer ceremony
Sunday to a crowd of thousands at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, amid
rumors of a sex scandal (A rumor swirling around online claims that Pope
Benedict XVI is stepping down because of legal action being taken against him
over his alleged involvement in the Roman Catholic Church's priest sex abuse
scandal) as he prepares to step down.
"Thank
you for your affection," the pope told the crowd as he appeared at the
window of his apartment overlooking the square.
As customary,
he opened the weekly Angelus prayer with a short sermon.
Benedict
spoke on the Transfiguration of Christ, one of the key moments in Jesus' life
on Earth, when, according to the church, he took three disciples to pray on a
mountain. During his prayers, Jesus was miraculously changed and filled with
light.
Read the
full text of Benedict's sermon
The crowd
interrupted Benedict with rousing applause, as he told them that God wanted him
to do the same.
"The
Lord is calling me to go on top of the hill, to dedicate myself once more to
prayer and meditation," he said. "But this does not mean to abandon
the church."
This is not
the only rumor to arise since the Pope announced his resignation last week.
Some had claimed after the resignation was made public that the Pope was
suffering from bone cancer.
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