Benedict: 'putting the good of the church before oneself'
In a final appearance before beginning his retirement behind Vatican walls, Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday told an adoring crowd -- the sort that has mostly eluded him during his eight-year reign -- that ``to love the church means also to have the courage to make difficult, painful decisions, always putting the good of the church before oneself.''
In the central liturgical moment of his four-day trip to Great Britain, Pope Benedict XVI beatified Cardinal John Henry Newman and said his vision of religion's vital role in society should serve as a model today.