Fifty thousand faithful prayed this morning with Pope Benedict XVI in the penultimate Angelus of his pontificate. The Pope thanked people for their prayers, support and spiritual closeness, «in these particular days for the Church and for [himself].» Commenting on the Gospel of Jesus’ temptations in the desert, proclaimed on this first Sunday of Lent, Pope Benedict said, «The tempter is subtle: he does not push us directly toward evil, but to a false good.» The Holy Father went on to explain that, ultimately, what is at stake in the temptations is faith. «In the decisive moments of life, but, if we look closely, in every moment, we are at a crossroads: do we want to follow the self, or God?»