“Regarding the health conditions of the emeritus pope, for whom Pope Francis asked for prayers at the end of his general audience this morning, I can confirm that in the last hours, a worsening due to advanced age has happened,” Bruni said in a written statement.
“The scenario in the mean time stays below management, continually monitored by medical doctors,” according to the statement.
At the end of his customary Wednesday audience with the public in a Vatican auditorium, Francis departed from his prepared remarks to say that Benedict is “very sick” and asked the faithful to pray for the retired pontiff.
Francis didn’t elaborate on the condition of Benedict.
“I’d wish to ask all of you for a particular prayer for Emeritus Pope Benedict, who, in silence, is sustaining the church,” Francis said in remarks near the end of an hour-long audience. “I remind you that he’s very sick,” Francis said.
“Let’s ask the Lord to consolation him and maintain him on this testimony of affection to the church to the very finish,” Francis said.
After the hour-long audience, “Pope Francis went to the Mater Ecclesiae monastery to go to Benedict XVI. Let us all unite with him in prayer for the emeritus pope,” Bruni said.
Benedict, who was the first pontiff to resign in 600 years, has become increasingly frail in recent years as he dedicated his post-papacy life to prayer and meditation.
When Benedict turned 95 in April, his longtime secretary, Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, said the retired pontiff was in good spirits, adding that “naturally he’s bodily comparatively weak and fragile, however moderately lucid.”
Francis called on Benedict at the monastery four months ago. The occasion was Francis’ latest ceremony elevating churchmen to cardinal rank, and the new “princes of the church” accompanied him for the brief greeting.
The Vatican released a photo at the time that showed a very thin-looking Benedict clasping a hand of Francis as they current and past pontiff smiled at each other.
In his first years of retirement, Benedict attended a few cardinal-elevating ceremonies in St. Peter’s Basilica. But lately, he wasn’t sturdy sufficient to attend the lengthy service.
