Pope Francis announced this Wednesday that his predecessor, Benedict XVI, 95, is “very ill”.
“I would like to ask everyone for a special prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. To keep his memory alive, as he is seriously ill, to ask the Lord to comfort and support him”said the pope at the weekly audience.
Shortly afterwards, the Vatican confirmed the deteriorating health of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, saying that the German theologian was under medical supervision and that he was being visited by his successor Francis.
“I can confirm that in recent hours there has been an aggravation related to his advanced age. The situation remains under control, constantly monitored by doctors,” announced the director of the Holy See’s press office. Matteo Bruni.
Benedict XVI, whose original name is Joseph Ratzinger, is currently 95 years old and was pope between 2005 and 2013, when he abdicated and became emeritus of the diocese of Rome. Since then, Benedict XVI has almost completely withdrawn from public opinion.
Francis’s predecessor was the first pope to abdicate in 600 years, after Gregory XII in 1415. He lived in the Mater Ecclesiae monastery in the Vatican for about 10 years.
The few photos that surfaced of the pope emeritus showed that his health was getting weaker.
In 2013, Benedict XVI cited his declining physical and mental health as justifying his decision to step down as head of the world Catholic Church.
In April this year, Benedict XVI’s longtime secretary, Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, told Vatican News that the former pope was “relatively frail and frail” but “in a good mood.”
Source: DN
