Pope Benedict XVI delivered his final Angelus prayer Sunday morning to a massive audience in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City.

According to CNN, In his final sermon, the pope told the crowd that he was not abandoning the church but instead re-devoting his life to spirituality.

"The Lord is calling me to go on top of the hill, to dedicate myself once more to prayer and meditation," he said.

The pope’s final blessing comes on the heels of a recently rumored sex scandal-taking place within the Vatican. Italian news media have reported an alleged gay sex scandal involving Vatican members and gay prostitutes is what triggered Benedict’s early retirement.

The Vatican claimed that these allegations are nothing more than an attempt to influence public opinion and sway the vote for the upcoming papal election.

In his last public appearance Pope Benedict will hold a general audience Wednesday, according to the Vatican, before his last day as acting pope Thursday. 

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