XVI called the believers to prayer. Pope Francis spoke for retired Pope Benedict during Wednesday's general audience, stressing that the 95-year-old head of the church, who resigned in 2013, is very ill.
In his speech in the audience hall of the Vatican, Pope Francis asked those present to say an extraordinary prayer XVI. For Benedict. He emphasized that the retired Pope "quietly supports the Church".
Pope Francis added that his predecessor is very ill. He asked the Lord to give him comfort XVI. Benedict, and always support him in his loving witness to the Church.
Joseph Ratzinger turned 95 in April. Elected Pope in 2005, he was the first head of the Church in the modern era to resign in February 2013. He celebrated the 70th anniversary of his ordination as a priest in June.
After the election of Pope Francis, he moved back to the Vatican with the self-appointed title of retired pope, where he has been living in the Mater Ecclesiae monastery ever since. He very rarely left the territory of the Papal State, the last time in June 2020, when he traveled to the funeral of his brother Georg. That was the last time he appeared in public.
At the beginning of December, Pope Francis stated that he often meets the retired pope, with whom they are almost neighbors, since their residences in the Vatican are close to each other.
The Pope announced at the audience that he will issue an apostolic letter on the 400th anniversary of the death of St. Francis de Sales. The saint is the patron saint of journalists and writers. XVI. Benedict called the saint a model of Christian humanism.
Source: MTI
