Benedict XVI According to the Vatican, things are going well under the circumstances. “He is very calm,” said the former Mater Ecclesiae monastery, where the pope emeritus has lived for ten years. Joseph Ratzinger is in the room on the first floor of the former monastery and is said to have celebrated mass with a stole over his shoulders.
He is assisted by his private secretary, Bishop Georg Gänswein, and the Vatican nurse, Brother Eligius. The personal doctor, Patrizio Polisca, was also present, Italian news agency ANSA reported.
No planned hospitalization
“The pope emeritus recovered well last night, he is absolutely clean and awake, and today his condition is still serious but stable,” pope spokesman Matteo Bruni said on Thursday. The current Pope Francis has reiterated his call to pray for the pontiff emeritus in these “difficult hours”.
Pope Francis told his general audience on Wednesday that his predecessor was “very ill”. He asked for prayer for the 95-year-old. The Vatican reported “breathing problems” that Benedict had complained of before Christmas. His condition reportedly worsened “about three days ago”. So for Benedict XVI. no planned hospital admissions. His residence in the former Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican Gardens has the necessary medical equipment.
Joseph Ratzinger, named Pope in 2005, surprisingly resigned in February 2013. Since then, he has been a recluse in the Vatican.