Former Pope Benedict is 'lucid and vigilant' but his condition remains serious, Vatican says - CNN

Rome CNN  — 

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is “lucid and vigilant” but his information remains serious, the Vatican said Thursday successful an update connected the erstwhile pontiff’s health.

“He is perfectly lucid and vigilant and contiguous portion his information remains serious, the concern astatine the infinitesimal is stable,” Vatican property bureau manager Matteo Bruni said successful a statement.

“Pope Francis renews his invitation to commune for him and travel him successful these hard hours.”

Pope Francis announced Wednesday that his 95-year-old predecessor was “very sick” aft a deterioration successful his health.

“I privation to inquire you each for a peculiar supplication for Pope Emeritus Benedict who sustains the Church successful his silence. He is precise sick,” Francis said during his wide assemblage astatine the Vatican connected Wednesday. “We inquire the Lord to console and prolong him successful this witnesser of emotion for the Church to the precise end.”

A Vatican spokesperson confirmed aboriginal Wednesday that Benedict’s wellness had worsened “in the past fewer hours” and that Francis visited Benedict astatine the Mater Ecclesiae monastery successful Vatican City.

In 2013, Pope Benedict XVI shocked the satellite by making the astir unprecedented determination to resign from his position, citing his “advanced age.”

Benedict’s announcement marked the archetypal clip a pope had stepped down successful astir 600 years. The past pope to resign earlier his decease was Gregory XII, who successful 1415 discontinue to extremity a civilian warfare wrong the Catholic Church successful which much than 1 antheral claimed to beryllium pope.

Benedict’s wellness has been successful diminution for immoderate time. In 2020, the Vatican said Benedict had suffered from a “painful but not superior condition,” pursuing reports successful German media that helium was ill.

Two years earlier, successful a rare nationalist letter published successful the Italian paper Corriere della Sera, Benedict wrote that “in the dilatory waning of my carnal forces, inwardly I americium connected a pilgrimage toward Home.”

Benedict has been a almighty unit successful the Catholic Church for decades.

Born Joseph Ratzinger successful Germany successful 1927, helium was ordained arsenic a clergyman successful 1951, made a cardinal successful 1977, and aboriginal served arsenic main theological advisor to Pope John Paul II. He was elected arsenic the 265th pope successful April 2005, pursuing John Paul II’s death.

Benedict became pontiff astatine the tallness of the planetary intersexual maltreatment ungraded involving Catholic priests, arsenic complaints of intersexual maltreatment and related lawsuits tore astatine the religion and threatened its motivation lasting astir the world.  

His bequest has been clouded by caller scrutiny of his clip arsenic Archbishop of Munich and Freising, betwixt 1977 and 1982, aft a Church-commissioned study into abuse by Catholic clergy determination was published successful January.

The study recovered that helium had been informed of 4 cases of intersexual maltreatment involving minors – including 2 during his clip successful Munich – but failed to act, and that helium had attended a gathering astir an abusive priest.

Benedict aboriginal pushed backmost against those allegations, admitting helium had attended the gathering but denying helium intentionally concealed his presence.

In a connection connected Wednesday, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) said galore radical would person “mixed feelings” astir the beingness of Benedict. “Sadly, galore clergy maltreatment victims are not retired of the woods successful presumption of healing from their wounds and getting the justness they deserve,” SNAP wrote.