VATICAN CITY Pope Benedict XVI presided over Ash Wednesday services, his final public Mass, at St. Peter's Basilica, thanking the faithful for their support during his nearly eight-year pontificate, which will end Feb. 28 when he becomes the first pope to resign in almost 600 years.
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Pope Benedict XVI greets the faithful at the Ash Wednesday Mass in St. Peter's Basilica. The pope said he had made his decision to step down "in full freedom for the good of the church."
