Pope Delivers Final Sunday Blessing

Massive crowd fills St. Peter's Square

Pope Benedict XVI celebrated his final Sunday blessing in front of a massive crowd in St. Peter's Square, even as a controversy alleging a network of gay clergy working within the Vatican walls grew.

Benedict did not address the controversy directly, though he did explain his reasons for becoming the first pope in nearly 600 years to abdicate.

"The Lord God has called me to go to the top of the hill in order to dedicate myself again to prayer and to meditation," Benedict told the tens of thousands of faithful gathered for the blessing. "But this does not mean I shall abandon the church."