Pope Benedict XVI: is pope emeritus ill, health explained, age, what have Pope Francis and the Vatican said?

Pope Francis has asked for special prayers for his “very sick” predecessor Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, and expressed his hope that God will comfort him “to the very end”.

On Wednesday (28 December) Pope Francis asked the faithful to pray for the retired pontiff. He did not elaborate on the condition of Benedict, who resigned in February 2013.

The Vatican has said the pope emeritus’ condition had suddenly “worsened due to age” in recent hours, and that Pope Francis had been to see him.

Here is everything you need to know.

What is wrong with Pope Benedict?

Pope Benedict resigned as pontiff in February 2013, as a result of his advanced age. At the age of 85 years, he was the fourth-oldest person to hold the office of pope, but the unexpected move (in modern times, all popes have held office until their death) made him the first pope to retire in 600 years, and the first to resign without external pressure since Celestine V in 1294.

In a statement at the time, Benedict cited his deteriorating strength and the physical and mental demands of the papacy, but he had always planned to have a relatively short reign as Pope. Even before his 2005 election, he had expressed a desire to retire on account of age-related health problems and a long-held desire to have free time to write.

Now aged 95, Benedict lives in a convent on Vatican grounds, but has become increasingly frail in recent years as he dedicates his post-papacy life to prayer and silent meditation - in 2020 it was announced that Benedict had difficulty speaking and had told cardinals "the Lord has taken away my speech in order to let me appreciate silence.”

The most recent photographs of Pope Benedict, taken on 1 December, show just how frail he has become, as he received the winners of the Ratzinger prize in the Vatican.

In surprise remarks near the end of an hour-long audience, Pope Francis said: “I’d like to ask all of you for a special prayer for Emeritus Pope Benedict, who, in silence, is sustaining the church. I remind you that he is very sick. Let’s ask the Lord to comfort him and sustain him in this testimony of love to the church to the very end.”

What has the Vatican said?

Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni said in a written statement: “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.”

“The situation at the moment remains under control, constantly monitored by doctors,” according to the statement.