SALT LAKE CITY - Many of Utah's estimated 150,000 Roman Catholics watched Pope Benedict XVI's public farewell on Thursday.
Monsignor Terry Moore, Utah's most senior Catholic priest, just announced his retirement from ministering to his congregation. Moore, who runs St. John the Baptist Church in Draper, says he's seen a lot in his 46 years as a Catholic priest, but Pope Benedict XVI's resignation is the biggest.
"First time in 600 years a pope has stepped down, so it's all new to us and it's new to the church," Moore said.
The students and staff at Juan Diego Catholic High School in Draper took a moment to acknowledge the historic event happening at the Vatican Thursday afternoon. Marianne Rozsahegi's theology class watched the pope's resignation happen live on television on Thursday afternoon.
"Yeah, this is a huge part of history, I can't believe I'm living through it," said Jocelyn Alcala.
The students are interested in seeing how a new pope is elected and how it will impact them as Catholics as they go off to college and into adulthood.
"It could change things up depending on who it is and what they want to push and he could be non-European, which would be different because it's never happened before," said Cole Gordon.
For more on Pope Benedict XVI's resignation, read here.
