Last Mass for the Pope as deliberations for successor begin

Pope Benedict XVI has celebrated his last Mass as Pope in St Peter's Basilica in Rome following the surprise announcement that he is to retire.

He presided over an Ash Wednesday ceremony marking the start of the Roman Catholic Church's season of Lent.

It came two days after the surprise announcement that the 85-year-old was to retire at the end of the month.

In his homily, he implicitly criticised recent infighting among clerics inside the Vatican.

The BBC's Allan Little reports from the Vatican.