Pope Benedict XVI yesterday bade Catholics an emotional farewell in his final audience at the Vatican.

Eight years into his papacy, the German Pope broke with tradition and resigned, a step not seen in the Catholic Church for almost six centuries.

He officially steps down today at 8pm, paving the way for the process to start to choose his successor, hopefully by Easter.

The Times took to the streets of Valletta asking people what they thought of Pope Benedict’s legacy and what they expected from a new Pontiff.

Some expressed surprise at how a Pope perceived to be traditional broke with tradition when he resigned and others felt there must have been more behind his departure. But while judgement on the outgoing Pope’s legacy was mixed, everybody agreed his successor will have a daunting task ahead of him to heal the wounds of a Catholic Church affected by sexual abuse scandals and compromising Vatican leaks.