Pope Benedict XVI's final Sunday prayer

 　　ROME, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Departing Pope Benedict XVI delivered his final public prayer ceremony on Sunday noon in Vatican City, drawing tens of thousands of emotional Catholics, together with tourists from across the world.

　　The St. Peter's Square was full of young and old spectators from Sunday morning, many holding up cameras and some pushing strollers. Giant flags and banners also add a few distinct colors to the square.

　　At around 11:45 a.m. (1045 GMT), the 85-year-old pope showed up at the window of his office overlooking the square, arousing massive applauses and hails from the crowd. He chanted Catholic blessings¹ with the crowd after a short sermon.

　　Tomasz Smalcerz, a priest and college student studying in Rome, said he could not miss the pope's last public blessings on Sunday. "I want to be with the pope, to pray with him and for him," he said.

　　Earlier this month, the pope abruptly² announced his decision to step down due to lack of physical strength, soon after allegations of various scandals in the Catholic Church caught media attention amid Vatican's denial.

　　In spite of doubts about the pope's real reason for resignation, most ordinary Catholics interviewed by Xinhua at the square expressed much understanding about the pope's old age and health condition.

　　"His announcement of retiring is not an act of weakness, but an act of liberty and of great love to the church," said sister Annie Mariavilla from India, who came with a dozen of Catholic sisters.

　　Benedict was dean of the College of Cardinal³ in 2005 when he became the sixth German to be picked as pope, while his resignation has been the first in nearly 600 years.

　　The pope, who said earlier to live "hidden from the world" after retirement⁴, would officially leave office at 8 p.m. (1900 GMT) next Thursday. A cardinal should take over interim⁵ powers until there is a new pope.

　　Anita Vanboxmeer, a Catholic visiting Rome from the Netherlands, told Xinhua that she would prefer a new pope that could be less conservative than Benedict XVI.

　　Cardinals⁶ from across the world are scheduled to gather in the 13th-century Sistine Chapel⁷ to vote for a new pope, hopefully in time for the church's Easter celebrations in late March.

　　Souvenir shops nearby the square got rather crowded after the ceremony, whose bestsellers included calendars and postcards with the printed picture of the pope.

1 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

3 cardinal   

n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的

参考例句：

• This is a matter of cardinal significance.这是非常重要的事。
• The Cardinal coloured with vexation. 红衣主教感到恼火，脸涨得通红。

4 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

5 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

6 cardinals   

红衣主教( cardinal的名词复数 )； 红衣凤头鸟（见于北美，雄鸟为鲜红色）； 基数

参考例句：

• cardinals in scarlet robes 身披红袍的枢机主教
• A conclave of cardinals was held to elect the new Pope. 红衣主教团举行了秘密会议来选举新教皇。

7 chapel   

n.小教堂，殡仪馆

参考例句：

• The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
• She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午，她在小教堂的演出，可以说是登峰造极。