Matteo Bruni, the director of the Vatican press office, told reporters on December 29 that Pope-emeritus Benedict XVI is “absolutely lucid and alert,” but his health remains precarious.
The 95-year-old retired Pope “managed to rest well last night,” Bruni said. He concluded that “although his condition remains serious, the situation at the moment is stable.”
Pope Francis visited his predecessor on Wednesday, at the Mater Ecclesiae residence where the retired Pontiff has lived since his resignation. Bruni reported that Pope Francis had renewed his call for prayers for Benedict.