POPE BENEDICT XVI'S PENULTIMATE PUBLIC MINISTRY APPEARANCE.............

Entering into just over the final one hundred hours of his service in the Petrine Ministry as the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, the Holy Father Benedict XVI conducted his last Sunday Angelus Prayer and Blessing at 12 noon from the window of the Papal Apartment in Vatican City.  100,000 persons are estimated to have been assembled in St. Peter's Square to see and hear Pope Benedict on his closing Sunday  as the 265th Successor of St. Peter, before his chosen resignation of the Holy See this coming Thursday night February 28th.  A rousing, thunderous applause spilled over central public square of Catholic-Christianity as Benedict appeared, prayed, blessed, and spoke, to the throngs of people in attendance.  The Pope said in remarks he delivered from his balcony that God is calling him to, "even more prayer and meditation"..."But that doesn't mean abandoning the church"..."On the contrary, if God asks me, this is because I can continue to serve it with the same dedication and the same love which I have tried to do so until now, but in a way more suitable to my age and to my strength".  Addressing his decision to resign announced on February 11th in order to go into a private life of prayer and contemplation for the Church and the World,  , Pope Benedict said, "Prayer is not isolating itself from the world and its contradictions".  Saying he had heard God's Call in and to prayer in a special way, "which gives breath to our spiritual life"..."at this moment of my life".  Later Sunday, the Holy Father transmitted one of his closing tweets social networking in English by writing, "In this momentous days, I ask you to pray for me and for the church, trusting as always in divine providence".  + Benedict will make hi very last public appearance as the current Pope on Wednesday, at his last General Audience, being held outdoors in St. Peter's Square to which a comparable number of people most certainly, in the tens of thousands are expected to be in attendance.  On Thursday after meetings with Cardinals one more time, he will helicopter to Castel Gandolfo, to reside for two months, until renovations on the monastic convent within Vatican City are completed, and as Bishop Emeritus of Rome, he takes up permanent residency therein.............Fr.  Troy