Pope Francis requested a special prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict, who keeps the church alive in his silence.
Pope Francis said his predecessor, 95-year-old former pontiff Benedict XVI, who retired nine years ago, was “very sick”. His health deteriorated on Wednesday 28 December. This was reported by CNN.
The pope visited Benedict at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery in the Vatican after the general audience.
“I want to ask all of you a special prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict, who supports the church in his silence. He is very sick,” Francis said at the event.
Later, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed that Benedict’s health had deteriorated in the past few hours “due to old age.” According to him, now that the situation is under control, doctors continue to monitor it.
In 2013, Pope Benedict XVI made the almost unprecedented decision to step down from his position, citing old age. His announcement marked the first time a pontiff had stepped down in nearly 600 years. The last was Gregory XII, who left in 1415 to end civil war within the Catholic Church. Then there is more than one candidate for the title of Pope.
Following media reports of illness in 2020, the Vatican said Benedict XVI was suffering from a “painful but not serious condition”. Two years earlier he had written that “with the slow fading of my physical powers, inwardly I am on a pilgrimage to Home.”
Earlier, Pope Francis, in a Christmas message, called on those in power to silence the guns and end the war in Ukraine.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.