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POPE BENEDICT XVI has held his final public event before stepping down as pontiff, using his final general audience to further explain his reasons for deciding to step down.
Thousands turned out at St Peter’s Square in Rome to mark the 85-year-old pope’s final public event, before he retires to his summer residence outside Rome tomorrow and ends his pontificate at 7pm tomorrow evening.
The Wednesday morning general audience usually offers a platform for the pope to give lectures on the nature of Christianity – but today Benedict instead used the opportunity to elaborate on his reasons for his retirement.
Benedict said he did not have the “strength of mind or body” to continue leading the Catholic Church’s 1.2 billion followers.
“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,” he said, further recalling the doubts he had about his ability to rise to the role when he was appointed pontiff in April 2005.
“I have had moments of joy and light, but also moments that haven’t been easy … moments of turbulent seas and rough winds,” he added.
At the conclusion of his remarks, Benedict toured the square in the ‘Popemobile’, greeting well-wishers in what amounted to his final public appearance as head of the Roman Catholic Church.
Most of the 115 cardinals who will vote in next month’s conclave, appointing a successor to Benedict, were present for the audience – which had an expected attendance of about 50,000, but an actual turnout of nearly double that much.
Tomorrow morning Benedict will hold a meeting with the cardinals, before flying to Castel Gandolfo – about 40 minutes away by road – to see out the last hours of his pontificate.
At 8pm Roman time (7pm Irish time) the doors of the residence will close, and the Swiss Guards protecting him will stand down – their job of protecting the head of the Catholic Church over for the time being.
Readers unable to view the Soundcloud file above can click here to listen to the audio.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,I offer a warm and affectionate greeting to the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors who have joined me for this, my last General Audience.
Like Saint Paul, whose words we heard earlier, my heart is filled with thanksgiving to God who ever watches over his Church and her growth in faith and love, and I embrace all of you with joy and gratitude.
During this Year of Faith, we have been called to renew our joyful trust in the Lord’s presence in our lives and in the life of the Church. I am personally grateful for his unfailing love and guidance in the eight years since I accepted his call to serve as the Successor of Peter.
I am also deeply grateful for the understanding, support and prayers of so many of you, not only here in Rome, but also throughout the world.
The decision I have made, after much prayer, is the fruit of a serene trust in God’s will and a deep love of Christ’s Church. I will continue to accompany the Church with my prayers, and I ask each of you to pray for me and for the new Pope.
In union with Mary and all the saints, let us entrust ourselves in faith and hope to God, who continues to watch over our lives and to guide the journey of the Church and our world along the paths of history.
I commend all of you, with great affection, to his loving care, asking him to strengthen you in the hope which opens our hearts to the fullness of life that he alone can give.
To you and your families, I impart my blessing.
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What an absolute cock up that man has made of his career and that of his staff when all he had to do was just stay out of it….
He’s incensed at the lost chance of a knighthood.
Seriously if those kings and queens want to rule the world then im sorry they live on the wrong planet,this is the 21st century and you cant control everyone like they use to do,and the kate picture i think the french has all the right to do what they wanna do cos the british media shows us half naked women from poor countries and kno 1 says anything cos what they forget is thise women are someoneswlses proncess
Richard Desmond made his money from pornography, and still does. Who is he to threaten Irish hacks over mere toplessness?
Oh, yes, sorry — that’s fine by him. It’s because they are sanctified, royal titties and reserved to “Wills” (at least until divorce) that he wants to sack a bunch of people who had nothing to do with it.
The uproar over this is absurd. I agree Kate Middleton has a right to privacy, but you never hear this outrage when some other celebrity is snapped and published in papers.
Exactly who the f cares, the royal family can be treated the same as the rest off the attention seekers
Yes that’s true Sean, however I would say the extent of the coverage afforded to the Windsors is on a different level. Just remember the hype (even in Ireland) at the last Royal wedding.
This guy is a f’ing joke…I haven’t seen the photos of your one Kate but I’m sure they are a bit more tasteful than the way the ladies portrayed on his porn channels.
You can say that there shouldn’t be a huge uproar about this and that she should be afforded the same treatment as other celebrities all you want, but fact of that matter is that this horrible pseudo-journalism NEEDS to be eradicated, and this is a step in the right direction.
People who have been outraged by this might think twice before buying a magazine with other topless celebrities in the future.
most of the pictures of topless “celebs” are staged anyway.oh look the paparazzi caught me with a full face of makeup & my dry hair in a swimmimg pool lol.
so creepy, unsolicited, long-lens paparazzi pics are “very, very tasteful” now?
good one.
You’ve used that chat up line before!?
heard him on Marion this morning very arrogant chap, looks like a lifetime of proof reading death notices awaits him
Yes I heard him on Marian too this morning. Sleazy piece of work. He has flushed himself down the toilet now with any luck. Trouble is he will probably take others with him.
What I’m concerned about is the thought of the British tabloids publishing topless pictures of Michael D in retaliation. Although in fairness he’s probably more buxom than Kate!
We won’t even mention topless pictures of Dr James, current minister for foot and mouth
There was the topless pics of Mr Cowen ( shudder), untill some hired goons took them down.
They sold the rights to their wedding pics. from then on she is fair game for the papers. you can’t have it both ways .
Eh? Sold their rights to wedding pics! I never heard of that one before. That Star newspaper is the most overpriced bunch of junk on the market, and nothing it ever prints would inspire me to buy it.
This is precisely the kind of ridiculous attitude that Britons have towards female celebrities who get themselves into this kind of situation.Now they are all up in arms.
Thing is, the young woman is question is the spouse of the UK’s future head of state, under their system. A little bit of cop-on and sensitivity would go a long way.
by who……should she go to a lead lined room for a pee,just in case there’s a camera within a mile?
She is. The future head of state without any clothes on. Who else’s fault is it, if not her own. And William should be a bit more copped on . Outside isn’t very private usually.
She was on a secluded and private beach,how that editor can describe that horrible intrusion of the poor girl’s privacy as “tasteful” is beyond me.
Anne-Marie, it sounds like you’re using the old “she deserved it because of how she was dressed” argument.
I don’t agree that they are attention seekers. Just a couple on holiday. Have a look at the photo – they would be certainly unaware of any photographers from that distance.
https://twitter.com/helenlewis/status/246917980573794305/photo/1
I’m really disappointed that one of our own newspapers has done this. I know it’s a red top, but I thought common sense and decency might have prevailed instead of greed.
I wouldn’t wipe my arse with:
The Star
The Sun
The Mail
The Mirror
If it’s made up stuff ye want, send me 50 cents and I’ll write you an EXCLUSIVE! that never really happened. If you want I’ll go down the back of the garden, get me moobs out and ask my neighbour to take tasteful photos of me for page 3.
Do u need an editor for that exclusive?
Not to objectify you Stephen – but I think I would pay to see that.. Hmm you could be on to something.
I wouldn’t wipe my arse with any newspaper. Propaganda rags the lot of them. As for that ridiculous royal family. Who gives a shite?
I’m in the garden now…..
The issue here is not that she a royal . Or a celb or just a normal person. She was on private grounds in private and someone with long lenses took pics . That’s not on. If she was topless in public then fair game . Prob is some ppl are unhappy at this but they still buy red tops.
I beg to differ, (and I despise tabloid bull S.) If it was a picture of ..say from a member of the Jersey Shore cast, same scenario, same location do you think it would be such a big deal?
Arise Sir Richard…”for your services to the crown and disassociating
yourself from that dreadful Oirish tabloid”… hip hip hurrah..
That move has backfired on the editor big time! How to destroy your own newspaper…
But at least check with the people that pay him….that was just reckless,regardless of free press or not….he made the complete wrong decision and now jobs will b lost
Tempest in a teacup.
Civil war in Syria, US ambassadors being killed, middle east violence, high unemployment levels, Euro implosion, RIRA possibly on the upsurge and we’re giving column inches to this.
Perspective please. While I’m sure Kate is upset (and I believe rightly so), her ivory towers worries and concerns pale into insignificance when compared to the plight of the less well off, which is nearly the rest of the entire world.
Freedom of press why should Kate be treated different that any other person he should have just came out and said so what
Lets see your moobs.then JP.
Giving out about the church one minute, defending pervert stalkers the next!
I don’t know.
I’m ashamed,how could you do this. The’re a beautiful young couple, leave them alone. I came from N.I. to live in Australia in 71 not in love with the establishment which I felt had used my country for too long but never never felt resentemt against Royal Family
As for Richard Desmond, the proprietor of the English Daily Star and Channel 5 both of which are about 500 times trashier than the Irish Star.
The guy is an opportunistic, hypocrite, creep who must have designs on a knighthood.
I can’t disagree with that. English Daily star is the trashiest piece of shit ever printed.
Well said Steve, same thing crossed my mind
Exactly, as Marian said this morning, she had to wade through pages of flesh to find the photo of Kate!
Desmond is quite happy to fund this trash when it suits him!
if only the brits got as upset about 100,000s killed during their invasions as they do about their “royal” privacy
Yeah their press seem to be a bit preachy considering the ongoing phone hacking scandal, the lies written about Hillsborough and their own treatment of the royal family over the years….laughable
Media censorship is alive and well, the editor should have the final say not the suits with the money…….
Well if the editor wants the paper to keep the paper going, he needs to keep the suits with the money happy
any chance we might some nude pics of pippa’s bum
Delighted, now the rag will hopefully be removed from our shelves once and for all. Unfortunately some jobs will be lost as a result of this idiotic attention seeking move to publish the photos….
TBH F*** Kate Middelton!!! Why should anybody in their right mind actually give a toss about this …??? not one single person here knows her personally, be they in favour or not…Who gives a toss, I personally don’t … To put it simply, if you feel publishing pictures of someone in an unfavourable pose (naked or not) is wrong then lets close down all social networking, all media outlets and ISP’s, destroy all televisions/computers/mobiles/cameras, turn on your radios cause it’s gonna be a long drive….
I’m sure all those red thumbs were scrolling accidents cos you’re saying what everyone I know is thinking.
Don’t worry Anne, I’m a firm believer that 70% of the population are idiots incapable of independent thinking. All I see is vindication!
its only a rag anyway won’t be missed hope the sun goes with it.we don’t need newspapers now anyway since most read the news off the net
Tasteful? Since when is voyeurism tasteful?
I had a flick through The Star in Tesco this evening. Much Ado over Nothing !!
they are not royal t**s she only married a royal she is lucky she is not sitting in tonight watching x factor drinking cans
The sooner “these race to the naked bottom” if you will excuse my expression red tops are all shut down for their disservice to the English language and truth the better for us all..When I read a paper I want objective investigative and entertaining reporting where ethics are paramount. Having said that editorial independence should be sacrosanct.
i go topless myself and would hate pics to be taken of me, she was off and on holidays, and should be allowed her bit of privacy, and know the paper will be sued and pay out less than what they made on sales, but i do hope the investors pull out, will teach these rag papers what to publish and not publish, privacy acts should be taken to account, ,, wont buy that paper ever again even when its last one on rack,,,, page 3 crap, she does deserve a bit more respect for being a figurehead of a country, what ever country, privacy should be allowed for all
Where’s ya next holiday ?? ;-)
holiday in my own back yard and our own irish beaches and cliffs ,, and pray no one snapping away, and i totally agree with the princess noooooooooo tan lines
Three members of one family died today in a farming accident in this country, who really cares about a Royal who should have known better.
yea just heard about that.. very bad stuff… rip .
I feel quite strongly about these pics being taken and published in the first place (clearly an invasion of privacy) but for others to lose their jobs over this, well, it’s a bit silly really. Get a grip trashy media and join the real world…
I really think knowing she is married to the future king maybe she should have kept her top on!! No reason then for all the uproar.
Just a couple of facts. She is one of the most photographed women in the world, she chose to go topless knowing that there could be a photographer or at least she should have.
Yes she is entitled to her privacy but as a public figure she should have more sense to realise if you go topless the likelihood of being photographed is high.
BTW in Ireland who cares ?!
Thank you. A nice bit of common sense there.
I’m just going to say it. If you get your tits out outside are you actively seeking privacy? You are actually looking for attention.
Anne-Marie, how would you feel if it was your tits plastered all over closer without your consent? She sunbathed on private remote property, just cos she’s a future queen, does not exclude her from a private life.
Apparently alot of people care. And she didn’t just go topless on a public beach or other place where there would be photographers expected to be she was at a very secluded place. No justification for it.
Ann Marie is a legend – until her sister daughter or someone close to her goes to a very secluded place to enjoy some peace with her husband and do whatever the hell she wants only to have some pervert sneaking around in the bushes taking photos and plastering the all over the papers.
Maybe looking for,an excuse to shut down.paper?? how much profit/loss was paper making I wonder??
The hypocrisy of the UK tabloids in this case is staggering. Desmond is but a porn merchant.
Any chance we can get some more risable tabloids like the S*n, the “Irish” Daily Fail and the Sindo to print them as well?
It would be a huge service to the country if those piles of shite masquerading as purveyors of news were flushed down the toilet along with the Star.
This is an absolute disgrace. How many JOBS will be lost over UK shareholders trying to save face for their royal puppet masters! The publication was only available in the ROI and Kate Middleton is not our future Queen and as such should be subject to the same privacy as any other celebrity.
It shouldn’t happen Glenn. Last time I looked, nobody here was a royal subject and the free press was a free press.
#They should have came out and said so what
The News of the World closed down last July 2011 over the hacking scandal. I agree 100% with the closure. Now The Irish Star is going to close over stupid photos of Kate Middleton. FFS
I’m no fan of tabloid press but Ireland is a free country and that newspaper bought some pictures. Nobody broke any law by taking the pictures. And nobody broke any law by publishing them. And, isn’t it convenient that none of the British news channels and websites remember the vastly more shocking pics they took of Diana, Fergie or the horrible phone hacking thing they did on Charles and Camilla with reference to feminine hygiene products, back in the day. They’ve reinvented themselves as smug do-gooders in the wake of the Levenson Inquiry. Ir’s enough to make you sick!
Exactly Anne Marie.
Judging by the red thumbs, the foreign press is on here. Don’t know anyone from her that would red thumb what I said. Lame.
Anne Marie you seem to assume that because Irish people aren’t subjects of the royal family, we condone the complete lack of taste and civility that the publication of these pictures represents. On what planet is it ok to secretly photograph a woman topless and publish the pictures in the national press? It is a grotesque and deserves to be condemned. There’s a lot to be said for basic human dignity, to which we all have a right.
I got half a dozen private responses in my inbox to this comment. This is a public forum. Have the courage of your convictions and say what you have to say in public. By the way, my comment is about the freedom of the Irish press. Not privacy or the right to be topless anywhere.
Desmond is a pornographer. He exploits women. He runs porn magazines and porn satellite channels. He is a hypocrite of enormous proportions. Whatever little respect people have for tabloid newspapers and those who work in them, they should have far less for a useless piece or sh*t like Desmond.
That’s interesting. Most people don’t know any of this back story stuff . I’m interested. Go on.
Well, he publishes Asian Babes and runs satellite pornography channels
Jesus, close down that rag of a “paper” , please.
I think we’re all missing the point here, you get 6 free Moshi monster cards inside!
How many people are going to lose their jobs over this?
Can’t wait for the next instalment. Harry with no jocks on, Kate with no top on, what’s next? Camilla with???
Please never finish that thought! :(
We have a lot of people condeming Mr.O Kane but all the customers in the pub think he is right. He is not a British subject so he dont have to bow to the royal dictators. Ps Very busy tonight with a hen party in from the country.
Mine’s a pint…..
It’s nothing to do with bowing to anyone it’s about common manners. If people cant she that she was and is entitled to her privacy the there is no point in trying to explain it. And the earlier comparison to the cast of Geordie Shore is a bit watery isn’t it
Freedom of the press (even the tabloids) is a fundamental aspect of a democratic state. Like or Hate the press… what Desmond is doing is wrong.
But she was on her own (family’s) private ground. Even celebrities should have a right to privacy when they are at home. Freedom of the press should have boundaries. Taking a photo of somebody famous relaxing in public place is fine, but spying through the keyhole is pathetic.
Mick, this article isn’t about taking the pics, it’s about the Irish daily star using legally acquired photos but being taken to task by UK media for doing so. Like they’re lily white!
A few more jobs lost in Ireland as a result …………………..
There goes the knighthood Mr Desmond. Those rough Irish. Always messing things up
No mention of Ger Colleran? Did the editor consult the former editor, now MD?
The Irish star is making a loss he’s mad to get rid of it for a while now , I wonder what was on page 3 in the British version today ? Him on his high horse, make ya laugh
If Waity Katie hadn’t married well, Dirty Desmond wouldn’t have been interested in Kate’s “peanuts on an ironing board” look. He prefers his pornstars to have great big, plastic honkers that they can fondle for his magazines and porn channels.
No it is not making a loss just smaller profits. Check your facts
Wary Katy???? Half her luck.
Something really stinks here. The paper might be private sector and Desmond within his rights to close the paper but I would like to see our Government standing up for Irish jobs here!!
About 120 people out of a job of the paper is closed.
When the dust settles on this. Kate Middleton can get on with the life she has been leading and normal service will resume. It’s not going to be quite as straightforward for the people who’ve now lost their jobs as a result of this cheap stunt. Closing the paper down is an extreme reaction. I can only think that it was just the excuse that Richard Desmond needed to get rid of it?
The real issue here now is the threatened closure of the Irish Daily Star and the unnecessary potential job losses for 80 or so people. The irish title is a joint venture with independent news and media and Richard Desmond’s company in the UK. In a major twist of irony , he actually made millions as the uk publisher for penthouse magazine and also run adult tv services like red hot tv channel – so for him to use the publication of these pics by his Irish tabloid is – well it’s more than ironic. There’s a bit of a back story too in that he’s been threatening to distribute the Uk version of the Star to save costs and this is something that I think he may be now just using this “scandal” as an excuse to go ahead and do. How Independent News and Media respond is going to be the key to how this plays out and what happens to the Irish jobs. Even if you don’t like tabloid papers , Irish people do like to read them and there’s no reason that we should only get the ones that are published in the UK instead of ones generated in Ireland , if the star does close we will be reverting to more UK driven media in this sector , as well as the irish job losses – this ain’t necessarily a good thing.
and now the royal parrot is in on the act
Its should have been made illegal a long time ago for pictures of people not commiting a crime being published withour their prior knowledge or against their will regardless of their job or position in life.. For me the big story is the censorship, its not what you do its who you do it to! and thats whats why this is indeed censorship of the media.
P.s. are there many Irish owned newspapers left telling us the news after editing?
Aren’t we all getting a little carried away here? This isn’t some horrible intrusion like Milly Dowler – a poor innocent girl who’d just been murdered. This is some princess sunbathing topless at Lord Linney’s private chateau who got papped. My heart bleeds. Big deal, move on.
Ha ha,it’s ironically funny how two pair of tits have dominated the news this week and the Dail isn’t back yet.
A few more jobs lost in Ireland as a result ……………..
supply v demand. the pics were published in the hope that more papers would be sold. same old! certain types will continue to buy it and certain types will be disgusted by it, and life goes on.
Anglo Irish millionaire acts like Anglo Irish millionaire. Working class paper owned by self appointed gentry.
Gale Killanyday will be back as the editor of the Indo. Mark my words – the hubby owns it and she must miss the publicity she gave herself.
We’ve all got t*ts, b*lls, pu*sys and c*cks, as*holes (the technical terms of course) Whatever you want to call them…. big deal… Stop being so prudish … in 2 weeks nobody is going to give a sh*t!!!!!!! It’s called media and guess what? You’re using it!!!!
Denis O Brien will probably buy it out and keep it going.
Richard Desmond is claiming he owns the title so even if Denis tried to keep it going he could not cal it The Star. Also it would have no celeb, soccer or racing coverage from the UK.
Still under the control of the mainland then.
I think this is just a follow up to what happened with Harry when his pics came out, and in the end it just shows you that these people are just like everyone else , they do the same things in private and in the public so why should they be treated differently
Horrifficly anti-irish paper in the uk imho. God riddance to bad rubbish. My sympathies for anyone innocent and jobless as a result.
I think it may be a crime to photograph someone in this way (or at least a tort). Time will tell.
No chance of the innocence of muslims video evoking such a passionate response from the media Mongols
If she sues it will open 4 everone pic in paper will sue or is it 1 rule for 1 and other rule others ???
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