In an emotional goodbye to over 100,000 supporters, the Pope revealed on Sunday that he was stepping aside because God told him to do so.

In a voice raw with emotion, Pope Benedict XVI told pilgrims in St Peter’s Square that he was resigning on February 28 because God had called on him to devote himself to prayer. He said God had told him ‘to climb the mountain’.

It was observed that pilgrims filled the piazza to witness a historical moment and thank the Pope for his eight year Pontificate at the Angelus Prayer.

Despite recently looking tired and frail, he spoke in a clear, strong voice, repeatedly thanking the faithful for their closeness and affection as they interrupted him, again and again, with applause and cheers.

The Pope stressed that he was “not abandoning the church.” Instead, he said he would serve the church with the same dedication, but would do so “in a way more suitable to my age and my strength”.

He also said he would continue to serve through meditation and prayer after his historic abdication. He completed the last Angelus of his tenure by saying he would always be close to the Church.

The 85-year-old officially steps down on Thursday. He will spend his last years in seclusion in a cloistered monastery within the confines of Vatican City.
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