In the closing words, the former pontiff asked 'humbly,' despite all his 'sins and shortcomings,' he be welcomed by God into heaven. 9News
in a monastery in the Vatican at the age of 95, asked for forgiveness for those he has "wronged" in the spiritual testament published following his death.
During the testament, which consisted of a letter containing the pope's final words, Benedict spoke of the "many reasons" he had to be thankful for his life. Benedict was known to be more conservative than his successor, Pope Francis, who has made moves to soften the Vatican's position on abortion and homosexuality, as well as doing more to deal with the sexual abuse crisis which engulfed the church in recent years and clouded Benedict's legacy.
Pope Benedict XVI greets pilgrims aboard of the Sydney 2000 vessel in Sydney, Australia, on July 17, 2008., argued in favor of the centuries-old tradition of priestly celibacy within the Catholic Church. Benedict was originally listed as co-author, but later clarified he had only contributed one section of the text.