![Tens of thousands pack St. Peter's Square for Pope Benedict XVI's final general audience [photos]](https://media.townhall.com/cdn/hodl/tw/images/up/2013/02/st-peters-square-pope-final-audience-1052x615.png)
Pope Benedict XVI sent what will be one of his last papal tweets shortly after holding his final general audience on Wednesday.
this is a father saying goodbye, as he transitions into what just may be his most powerful role yet. #WednesdayAudience #B16
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
Tens of thousands of faithful visited St. Peter’s Square to hear the pope’s farewell address.
Photo: Crowds gather at the Vatican for Pope Benedict XVI’s final address pic.twitter.com/9KbyYFg2Eq
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) February 27, 2013
55,000, or 10 times thee size of a usual February audience,requested tickets for today's audience. They get seats. Thousands more expected.
— Catholic Telegraph (@cathtelegraph) February 27, 2013
Still an impressive number of pilgrims – @100,000 at least in St Peter's this morning.
— Edward Pentin (@EdwardPentin) February 27, 2013
Pope says his papacy faced joy but also difficult moments; says faced choppy seas, headwinds, at times "it seems that the lord was sleeping"
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 27, 2013
"The Lord was in that boat, that the boat was not mine or ours, but was his and he will not let it founder.” Pope Benedict //Jesus' Church!
— Ohio Guy. (@thekinner) February 27, 2013
"I am not abandoning the cross, I will remain, in a way at the foot of the crucified Lord" Pope Benedict XVI pic.twitter.com/baJxDCqoo6
— Catholic Net (@catholicnet) February 27, 2013
Pope Benedict XVI speaking to the pilgrims at the Last General Audience pic.twitter.com/mDhfXjhRu6
— Catholic Net (@catholicnet) February 27, 2013
Beautiful day in St Peter's Square for the Pope's final general audience. pic.twitter.com/E4NoZp2aQe
— Edward Pentin (@EdwardPentin) February 27, 2013
PHOTO: View of a packed St.Peter's Square where Pope Benedict XVI holds his last general audience. REUTERS/Max Rossi http://t.co/i5gkC6rBbQ
— ABS-CBN News Channel (@ANCALERTS) February 27, 2013
https://twitter.com/ghomstad/status/306734534441984000
http://instagram.com/p/WO7_oNLaNb/
RT @CBSThisMorning: Pope's final public address. @Pontifex asks faithful to pray for him and his successor (PHOTO) pic.twitter.com/yLGfd7CvRf
— Kris Vera-Phillips (@queenkv) February 27, 2013
The crowd outside of the Vatican for Pope Benedict's last address. Can't believe we got to be there. http://t.co/qGwwIHWGQZ
— Emily Baksa (@embaksa) February 27, 2013
Thousands of people in St. Peter's Square in last public event to see the Pope Benedict XVI pic.twitter.com/KCeTZvbafj
— Souvenirs Our Lady of Lebanon – Harissa (@SouvenirHarissa) February 27, 2013
The pope kissing babies as he does his last public appearance before he resigns tomorrow.. find out what… http://t.co/piqyz6yOQG
— Mario Paredes (@MParedes4) February 27, 2013
FULL TEXT: Pope Benedict XVI's last General Audience http://t.co/68VPx6jphJ (Photo: Allesandro Bianchi/Reuters) pic.twitter.com/P5sDmU7xNo
— Diane Korzeniewski (@TeDeumBlog) February 27, 2013
National Review Online’s Kathryn Jean Lopez tweeted her impressions of the pope’s final public address.
what love on display this morning. #Roma
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
praying with this Holy Father … THIS not for the last time … there will be a continuing unity in prayer ….
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
there is something so profound about what Pope Benedict XVI is teaching us about prayer in his resignation.
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
we see a Church that is alive! Pope Benedict observes.
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
the pope shares his own prayer. Lord, what do you ask of me? This is the prayer of our lives! #ExaminedLife
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
the boat of the church is HIS — God's … B16 He leads it.
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
feel loved by God! you are!! –b16
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
We are grateful for the gift of faith, which is the most precious thing. B16
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
God loves for us and waits for us, expects that we love him! — B16
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
everything Pope Benedict XVI says this morning seems like it should have an exclamation point!
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
Pope Benedict talks about wanting everyone to know the joy of Christianity. His remaining days will be in prayer that we do.
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
this is the heart of a father open before all this morning #Roma
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
the church isn't an organization but a living community of brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ — B16
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
earlier this week @CardinalDolan said of B16: I don’t think he’ll have any trouble in a life of solitude and seclusion…. He's a pray-er.
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
after these papal days of mine, I remain at the foot of the crucified Lord … in the vineyard — B16
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
pray for the cardinals! — Pope Benedict XVI
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
Pope Benedict leads us to Mary in his final public remarks as pope. Because she brings us to her Son, our Savior. #B16 #Roma
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
what love for a father. What father's love. All about our Father, our Creator, and our destination #thesceneinRome
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
what a window into a holy prayer life @Pontifex has given us this month.
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
Saying Thank You http://t.co/OE3Sv8ajmh
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
what an experience of universal Church this am! We have same unity in front of every tabernacle in world, in hearts given2& received by God.
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
Thanks be to God!
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
English!
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
the phrase "spiritual closeness" has been heard a lot of late thanks to this Holy Father and is worthy of deep reflection. #prayer
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
pray for me! pray for the new pope! -B16
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
this, right now, is a live portrait of a man at peace with his Maker. #Amen
— Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) February 27, 2013
Update:
More images of the pope’s final general audience from Vatican Radio:
PIctures from Benedic'ts final general audience: http://t.co/av8Stj3v4m
— Elizabeth Scalia (@TheAnchoress) February 27, 2013
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