At the conclusion of his regular weekly audience on December 28, Pope Francis asked for “a special prayer for Pope-emeritus Benedict,” saying that the retired Pontiff is “very ill.”
A spokesman for the Vatican later confirmed that Benedict’s condition had become more serious: “In the last few hours there has been an aggravation of his health due to advancing age.” However he said that the former Pope’s condition was stable.
The National Catholic Register reports that the retired Pontiff has experienced kidney failure.