Pope Francis urges prayer for 'very sick' Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

Dec. 28 (UPI) -- Pope Francis on Wednesday urged payers for his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, whom the pontiff said is "very sick."

The pontiff, speaking at the conclusion of his General Audience, called for a "special prayer" for the former head of the church, asking, "May the Lord sustain him ... until the end."

The pope did not say what illness was afflicting the 95-year-old Joseph Ratzinger, who resigned as pontiff in 2013, taking the name of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. He was the first pope to retire in 600 years.

In February, Benedict asked for forgiveness after a report criticized his handling of multiple reports of child sex abuse during the 1970s and '80s. The move came after German investigators said they had found almost 500 cases of documented abuse at the Munich archdiocese between 1945 and 2019. Benedict had been head of that archdiocese from 1977 to 1982.

In his plea for forgiveness, he did not apologize or admit responsibility but said, "We publicly implore the living God to forgive our fault, our most grievous fault."

Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican Press Office, confirmed that Benedict has suffered "an aggravation of his health due to advancing age "but is being monitored by doctors and is stable."

Francis later on Wednesday visited the Mater Ecclesiae monastery in the Vatican where Benedict XVI lives.

"We join him in prayer for the pope emeritus," Bruni said.

This summer, Francis, 86, discussed his own possible retirement with reporters and revealed that he had prewritten a letter of abdication in such an event should he suffer serious health issues. The pontiff recently has been forced to take a slower pace with his activities because of being confined to a wheelchair with a knee problem. He's also has experienced sciatica and has undergone colon surgery.