WATCH: Pope Benedict XVI's final address

Pope Benedict XVI delivered his final public address Wednesday on the day before he was set to step down from the papacy.

Benedict offered simple words of greeting and thanksgiving to a crowd of more than 150,000 people gathered in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, dressed in a wide-lapeled white suit and reading his message from a single page.

In the weeks since he announced his unexpected decision to resign, the Church has been rocked by the latest revelations in the abuse and misconduct scandals that have dogged Benedict's eight-year reign.