Pope Benedict XVI urged an end to “religious hypocrisy” and
“rivalry” in the Catholic Church as he donned his papal mitre for the
last time at an emotional Mass in St Peter’s Basilica.Wearing the purple robes of Lent, the pontiff was conveyed through the basilica’s vast nave on a mobile platform because of his growing infirmity.
Benedict urged the faithful to be sincere in their faith in his final Ash Wednesday Mass as leader of the world’s 1.2bn Catholics before he becomes the first pontiff to resign in 600 years.
He condemned “religious hypocrisy” and called for an end to divisions, saying that “the face of the Church is sometimes marred by sins against the unity of the Church and divisions in the clergy”, an apparent reference to the paedophilia or Vatileaks scandals plaguing the institution.
The Pope also called for an end to “individualism and rivalry”.
Earlier, the frail pontiff was greeted by a standing ovation, applause and chants of “Benedetto” at his weekly audience with thousands of believers in a Vatican auditorium.
A prominent banner read: “Thank You, Holiness”.
Benedict told the crowd he had taken his momentous decision “for the good of the Church”.
“Keep praying for me, for the Church and for the future pope,” he said, his voice full of emotion.
Wearing his workaday white cassock and skullcap, the pontiff said he could feel the faithful’s love “almost physically in these difficult days”.
The Vatican announced that cardinal electors — the princes of the Church — will meet on or in the days after Mar 15 to choose Benedict’s successor.
“The beginning of the conclave cannot be before Mar 15,” Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told a press conference. “We have to expect a conclave starting on the 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, or 19th.”
The secret conclave held in the Sistine Chapel under Michelangelo’s famed ceiling frescoes — deliberations that normally last a few days — should produce a new pope in time for Easter.
Many ordinary Catholics have said they would like the new pope to be more in tune with the times after the traditionalist reigns of Benedict and his long-time predecessor John Paul II.
“I want someone who is youthful and with a youthful spirit who can be more flexible,” said Ieva Tamosaityte, 25, a Lithuanian musician in the congregation at the papal Mass.
Rumours have begun flying over frontrunners to succeed Benedict, but no clear candidate has emerged yet and the decision will be up to the 117 elector cardinals.
While some hope that Africa or Asia could yield the next pontiff, others have tipped high-flying European or North American cardinals.
Benedict announced on Monday that he would resign because he no longer had the strength to carry out his duties.
Although the Vatican has denied specific health problems influenced his decision, it said he had a secret operation to replace the batteries in his pacemaker three months ago.
Benedict will no longer be pope from 7pm on Feb 28, after which as Lombardi put it “people will know they no longer have to go to him for questions regarding the universal Church”.