Pope Benedict holds last public Mass

13 February 2013 Last updated at 17:47 GMT The Pope has said he is resigning for the "good of the Church" Pope Benedict XVI is celebrating his last scheduled public Mass following his resignation.

The service is for Ash Wednesday and is being held in St Peter's Basilica.

Looking tired, the 85-year-old pontiff anointed the foreheads of the faithful with ashes in a service attended by cardinals, bishops, monks, friars and pilgrims.

Wearing purple vestments, he referred to his resignation in his homily, asking for the prayers of the faithful.

Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent, the most solemn season in the Church calendar that ends with Holy Week and Easter Sunday.

Continue reading the main story 17-23 February - Lenten retreat, most normal Vatican functions suspended24 February - Pope recites Angelus for the last time27 February - Last weekly audience, in St Peter's SquareEvening of 28 February - Pope leaves officeFrom 15 March - Conclave to elect new PopeThe pontiff had originally been scheduled to celebrate Ash Wednesday at the small Sant' Anselmo church, then lead a procession to Santa Sabina Basilica on Rome's Aventine Hill.

But the Mass was relocated to St Peter's to accommodate the crowds, the Vatican said. The change also saved the Pope the effort of the procession.

Earlier, the Pope was cheered by crowds as he entered and began speaking at his weekly general audience at its traditional venue, the audience hall in the Vatican.

Thousands of people gathered in the hall to greet him, giving him a standing ovation as he arrived, and cheering as he began and finished speaking.

Looking tired and drawn, Pope Benedict thanked the crowd for their warm greeting and their sympathy.

"Thank you for the love and prayer with which you have accompanied me... Keep praying for me, for the Church and for the future pope," he said.

He said he was aware of the gravity of his decision to resign but also of his declining strength, adding that he was certain the Church would sustain him with prayer.

"I did this in full liberty for the good of the Church," he added.

Battle for succession

The pontiff will continue with his usual agenda until the day he officially retires at the end of February, Vatican officials say.

By the end of Lent, in six weeks' time, there is expected to be a new pope.

Continue reading the main story At 78, one of the oldest new popes in history when elected in 2005Born in Germany in 1927, joined Hitler Youth during WWII and was conscripted as an anti-aircraft gunner - but desertedAs Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, spent 24 years in charge of Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith - overseeing Catholic doctrineA theological conservative with uncompromising views on homosexuality and women priestsReached out to other faiths, visiting sites holy to Muslims and JewsThe BBC's David Willey, in Rome, says Pope Benedict is anxious to ensure a smooth transition of power to his successor, and does not want to go down in history as a pope who abandoned his ministry without sufficient cause.

The pontiff's daily diary until his departure from the Vatican at the end of the month is already full.

The Vatican holds a Lenten retreat from 17 to 23 February. The Pope will hold one more Wednesday audience on 27 February, again in St Peter's Square.

On 28 February he will fly off to the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo, where he will stay while Church leaders go through the complicated ritual of choosing a successor.

The secret process of selecting a new pope is known as a Conclave, governed by rules which have evolved over centuries.

Our correspondent says says the behind-the-scenes battle for the succession has already begun.

At 78, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was one of the oldest popes in history at his election.

He took the helm as one of the fiercest storms the Catholic Church has faced in decades - the scandal of child sex abuse by priests - was breaking.

The pontiff said in his resignation statement on Monday: "After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry."

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