Pope Francis Asks for 'Special Prayer' for 'Very Sick' Pope Benedict XVI

By Daniel S. Levine

Pope Francis asked for prayers after Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's health took a turn for the worse. The 95-year-old former pope is receiving medical care and his condition "worsened due to age" in the hours before Pope Francis spoke Wednesday, the Vatican said. In 2013, Benedict became the first pope to resign since 1415, citing his poor health.

"I would like to ask all of you for a special prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict, who, in silence, is sustaining the church," Francis said at the end of his general audience Wednesday, reports NBC News. "He is very sick, asking the Lord to console and sustain him in this witness of love for the church, until the end." Francis visited Benedict after making his speech, reports Reuters.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni later confirmed that Benedict is being treated by doctors. "I can confirm that in the last few hours, his condition worsened due to age," Bruni said. "The situation at present is under control, monitored constantly by doctors."

The Vatican did not share further details about the former pontiff's condition. However, Italian media outlets reported he was suffering from respiratory problems during the Christmas holiday. Benedict was last photographed on Dec. 1, when he looked extremely weak as he met theologians at an awards ceremony.

Benedict was born Joseph Ratzinger and shocked the Catholic world when he announced plans to resign in February 2013. Pope Francis was elected his successor in March 2013, becoming the first pope from Latin America. Benedict served as pope from 2005 until his resignation. He now lives in a former convent inside the Vatican gardens with his aides and medical staff.

In December, Francis, 86, told the Spanish newspaper ABC that he also wrote a resignation letter in case his health prevented him from serving the church. Shortly after he was elected, he gave the note to then-Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. He believes Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who now serves as Secretary of State, has the letter now. Francis has been using a cane to get around in public and used a wheelchair for months due to knee pain. He also had surgery in 2021 for bowel narrowing.

"I have already signed my renunciation," Francis told ABC. "I signed it and said: 'If I should become impaired for medical reasons or whatever, here is my resignation. Here you have it.'" However, he downplayed his current health challenges. "One governs with the head, not the knee," he said.

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