Over 200,000 Gather to Hear Pope Benedict XVI’s Last Public Prayer

Over 200,000 people gathered at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City on Sunday to hear Pope Benedict XVI final public blessing before he retires.
Pope Benedict XVI shocked the world earlier this month with the announcement he would step down as head of the Catholic Church on February 28 due to old age and failing health.
Pope Benedict XVI was born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger in Bavaria, Germany, in 1927. He became the 265th Pope in 2005 following his predecessor John Paul II’s death.
The Pope is spiritual leader of the estimated 1.2 billion followers of the Catholic Church, according to the Annuario Pontificio, its annual statistical report.