Courtesy of NBC
During Pope Benedict's final farewell to the public Wednesday morning, he assured the crowds he was not abandoning the Catholic Church, saying he would remain in its service through prayer.
"I ask each of you to pray for me," he told the tens of thousands who gathered in St.Peter's Square to watch his final general audience before Thursday's abdication.
The pontiff recalled moments of "joy and light" during his papacy, along with times great difficulty.
The crowds cheered for Pope Benedict as he made his way through the square in the iconic pope-mobile, pausing every so often to kiss a baby from the crowd.