Sunday's Angelus will not be Benedict's final public appearance, as he is scheduled to hold a general audience on Wednesday, according to the Vatican.
Francis also raised traditional eyebrows when he refused the golden pectoral cross offered to him right after his election by Monsignor Guido Marini, the Vatican's liturgy guru who under Benedict became the symbol of Benedict's effort to restore the Gregorian chant and heavy silk brocaded vestments of the pre-Vatican II liturgy to papal Masses.
"For me, there's a hope" that comes with Benedict's visit, Ortiz said.
Cardinal Bertone, who rose in the Vatican's hierarchy as a close ally of Benedict's, has many enemies within the high walls of the world's tiniest independent state.
While O'Brien will no longer be involved in electing the new pope, another controversial cardinal's plan to attend is further taking focus from Benedict's final days in office.
When John Paul came "it was a different period in our history, " said Camilo Ortiz, a 50-year-old Havana resident, but the former pontiff's visit still "had more power" than Benedict's.
Franco, whose new book "The Crisis of the Vatican Empire" describes the Vatican's utter dysfunction, said cardinals are still traumatized by Benedict's resignation, leading to uncertainty heading into the conclave.
Mr Kerry's talk about Benedict Arnold corporations exporting American jobs goes down well in the rustbelt.
Hattie Morahan won best actress for A Doll's House, Benedict Andrews was best director for Three Sisters, and Miriam Buether won best designer for Wild Swans.
BBC's Sherlock stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman also missed out in their categories of outstanding lead actor, and outstanding supporting actor in a mini-series or a movie, respectively.
It's possible that Benedict recognized all this and that it influenced his decision to resign in favor of a younger man with more energy to manage and reinvigorate such a huge institution.
That's exactly what Benedict will be remembered for.
WSJ: Andrew Nagorski: The Pope Who Made History in His Leaving
Massimo Franco, noted columnist for the leading daily Corriere della Sera, said the significance of the revelations about the bank and the Holy See's internal governance cannot be underestimated, since they were factors in Benedict's decision to resign and the major task faced by his successor.
Peter's Basilica was somber during the Mass, as if the weight of Benedict's decision and the finality of his pontificate had finally registered with the thousands of faithful present.
Mr Gabriele's body language in court sometimes betrayed tension, and when Monsignor Gaenswein - Pope Benedict's private secretary and his immediate superior - was giving evidence, the two mens' eyes never met.
BBC: Vatican trial: Verdict due for Pope's ex-butler Gabriele
Writing in France's centre-left Le Monde newspaper, Stephanie Le Bars says the end of Pope Benedict's papacy is overshadowed by "machinations and plots".
"We wouldn't be sincere, Your Holiness, if we didn't tell you that there's a veil of sadness on our hearts this evening, " Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Benedict's longtime deputy, told the pope at the end of the service, his voice breaking.
The pontiff's efforts to heal the wounds caused by the sexual-abuse crisis faced a major headwind: Pope Benedict's struggle to quickly and decisively respond to public controversy in his midst.
Benedict's resignation opens up the prospect of unforeseen opportunities and challenges for the Roman Catholic Church.
CNN: 'I'm just a pilgrim,' Benedict XVI says in public farewell
Catholic author Michael Walsh told CNN he was unsurprised by Benedict's desire for more privacy.
Sylvia, what is the mood in Turkey just two days ahead of Pope Benedict's arrival?
Benedict's decision has inevitably prompted frenzied speculation over who might assume the papacy in his place.
Bets are already being placed on which of the cardinals might step into Benedict's shoes.
CATHOLIC-JEWISH RELATIONS: Benedict's first official act as pope was a letter to Rome's Jewish community.
However, he remains a Cardinal Elector which will enable him to vote for Pope Benedict's successor.
During President Obama's inauguration and a visit to the U.S. by Pope Benedict last year, Washington, D.
Benedict's unexpected move has inevitably prompted frenzied speculation over who might assume the papacy in his place.
Cardinal O'Brien has confirmed he will not take part in the conclave to elect Pope Benedict's successor.
It was the latest case of Benedict's seeming indifference to the impact and timing of his actions.
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