Vatican City: Former pope Benedict, 95, who became the first Catholic pontiff to step down in 2013, is “very sick”, his successor Pope Francis said on Wednesday.
The Vatican said in a statement that Benedict had suffered a sudden “worsening” of his health in recent hours. It also said his condition was “under control” and that he was receiving constant medical attention.
“I would like to ask all of you for a special prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict, who, in silence, is sustaining the Church,” Pope Francis said in his surprise announcement in Italian at the end of his weekly general audience.
“Let us remember him. He is very sick, asking the Lord to console and sustain him in this witness of love for the Church, until the end,” Francis said, speaking in Italian.
Until a few weeks ago, those who had seen Benedict said his body was very frail but his mind was still sharp.
Since his resignation, Benedict has been living in a former convent inside the Vatican gardens, with his secretary, Archbishop Georg Ganswein, and a few other aides and medical staff.
Benedict announced his intention to resign on February 11, 2013, shocking a meeting of cardinals. He said he no longer had the physical and mental strength to run the Church.
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