Pope Benedict Is "Very Sick," the Vatican Confirms

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's health has been deteriorating, and his successor, Pope Francis, has revealed that the German former pope is now "very sick."

According to CNN, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said that the pope's health has been deteriorating in the last few hours due to his advanced age of 95. Bruni added that for the moment, his situation remains under control. He also confirmed that the former pontiff is currently being closely monitored by his doctors.

Pope Francis Asks for Prayers for Former Pope Benedict XVI

During his general audience at the Vatican on Wednesday, Pope Francis urged everyone to say a special prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. The Pope said that his predecessor has been sustaining the Church in silence but is now "very sick."

"We ask the Lord to console and sustain him in this witness of love for the Church to the very end," he said in his Wednesday address.

Vatican News has confirmed that the first Latin American pope has already visited his predecessor at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery in the Vatican. However, Pope Francis did not elaborate on his predecessor's condition.

Wilton Cardinal Gregory, the Archbishop of Washington DC, also asked all Catholics to pray for the former pope in a social media post on Wednesday. He added that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has served many roles in the Church, including as priest, scholar, diocesan bishop, curial official, and pontiff. He also prayed that "Christ reward him for his loving service."

Throughout the years, the former pontiff has admitted that his health has been deteriorating. In 2018, he wrote a letter published in an Italian newspaper that, "in the slow waning of my physical forces, inwardly I am on a pilgrimage toward Home."

Two years later, he then suffered from a "painful but not serious condition," with German media reporting that their former Cardinal was seriously ill.

The Legacies and Controversies of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

As Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI was one of the most conservative cardinals in the world, often speaking out against homosexuality and is often a critic of the sexual revolution.

When he ascended into the papacy after the death of Pope John Paul II, he continued his conservative trajectory. However, he later resigned, stating that this was due to his "advanced age." This was also the first time that a pope resigned in nearly 600 years.

Controversy also hounded the former pope. According to The Guardian, the former Cardinal Ratzinger failed to act against four priests who were once under him. These four priests have been accused of sexually abusing children, yet he did nothing about it while he was still the Archbishop of Munich.

It was confirmed that he attended a meeting about an abusive priest when he was still a cardinal. He admitted to attending the meeting but denied he intentionally concealed his presence.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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