Pope Benedict’s last public audience

150,000 in St. Peter's Square. The article is from the LA Times

"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," said Benedict, his voice slightly hoarse but unwavering.

"I have had moments of joy and light, but also moments that haven't
been easy," he added. "I felt like St. Peter with the apostles in the
boat on the Sea of Galilee. … I always knew that the Lord was in that
boat, and I always was aware that the boat of the Church was not mine,
was not ours, but it belonged to Him."

Benedict vowed to continue serving God in his retirement to a
renovated monastery in the Vatican Gardens, a stone's throw from the
papal apartment he currently occupies.

"I no longer bear the power of office of government of the church but
remain in the service of prayer," he said, adding that, as pope, he
belonged to everyone and would continue to belong to everyone the rest
of his life.