Pope Francis asked the faithful for prayers for the health of his predecessor, pope emeritus Benedict XVI, and said that the pontiff emeritus is “very sick”. made the statement during general audience at the Vatican this Wednesday (Dec.28, 2022).
“A special prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who in silence is sustaining the Church. Let us remember, he is very sick, asking the Lord to console him and sustain him in this witness of love for the Church until the end.”said Francis without giving details on the state of health of the pope emeritus.
Joseph Ratzinger is 95 years old and was born in Bavaria, Germany. He was nominated in 2005 to succeed Pope John Paul II.
Benedict XVI resigned from the papacy in 2013 saying his fragile health and advanced age would not be up to the demands of the post. It was the first resignation of a pope in over 600 years.
In 2020, a German newspaper published that he would be “severely ill”, quite fragile and with a practically inaudible voice. Since his resignation, the pope emeritus has lived in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery, in the Vatican Gardens.
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