Pope Benedict thanks public for 'love and prayers'

Pope Benedict XVI has thanked the public for their "love and prayers", as he makes his first public appearance since announcing his resignation.

The Pope was cheered by crowds as he entered and began speaking, at a weekly audience in a hall at the Vatican.

He said he resigned "for the good of the Church", aware of his own declining spiritual and physical strength.

Later he will hold what is expected to be his last public Mass, for Ash Wednesday, in St Peter's Basilica.

The 85-year-old will continue with his diary as usual until the day he officially retires at the end of February, Vatican officials say.

By the end of Lent, in six weeks' time, there is expected to be a new Pope. The Pope is holding his weekly general audience at its traditional venue, the audience hall in the Vatican.

Thousands of people gathered in the hall to greet him, giving him a standing ovation as he arrived, and cheering as he began and finished speaking.

The Vatican holds a Lenten retreat from 17 to 24 February. The Pope will hold one more Wednesday audience on 27 February, again in St Peter's Square.

At 78, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was one of the oldest popes in history at his election.

He took the helm as one of the fiercest storms the Catholic Church has faced in decades - the scandal of child sex abuse by priests - was breaking.