Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is "

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Pope Francis announced on Wednesday that his 95-year-old predecessor was "

“I want to ask you all for a special prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict, who upholds the Church in his silence.. He is very sick. We ask the Lord to comfort and support him in this testimony of love for the Church to the end,” Francis said during a general audience in the Vatican on Wednesday.

Later on Wednesday, a Vatican spokesman confirmed that Benedict's health had worsened "

In 2013, Pope Benedict XVI shocked the world by making the almost unprecedented decision to step down from his position, citing his age..

Benedict's announcement marks the first time a pope has resigned in nearly 600 years.. The last Pope to retire was Gregory XII, who abdicated in 1415 to end the civil war in the Catholic Church, as there were several candidates for the position of Pope at that time..

Benedict's health had been deteriorating for some time.. In 2020, the Vatican said that Benedict was suffering from a "

Benedict has been a powerful force in the Catholic Church for decades. He became pontiff in the midst of a global sex abuse scandal involving Catholic priests, in which sexual abuse complaints and related lawsuits tore the church apart and threatened its moral authority around the world..

Benedict XVI's legacy has been overshadowed by a recent study of his period as Archbishop of Munich and Freising between 1977 and 1982 after a report on abuses by Catholic clergy was published in January.

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As you know, the current Pope, Francis, wrote a letter of resignation back in 2013, in case of health problems..

Recall that earlier Francis stated that he did not see the end of the war in Ukraine in the near future..