Francis asks for prayers for ‘very sick’ retired Pope Benedict

Pope Francis on Wednesday asked his Catholic followers to pray for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who he said is “very sick” at the moment.

Francis requested a “special prayer” for his 95-year-old predecessor at the end of his weekly General Audience at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.

The Holy See press office confirmed in a press release that Pope Benedict was sick, but said he was being constantly monitored by doctors and the situation remains under control.

Pope Benedict was born Joseph Ratzinger in Germany in 1927.

He rose to become the 265th Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church in 2005, following the death of Pope John Paul II.

In 2013, Pope Benedict XVI became the first pontiff to resign in around 600 years. Benedict cited his advanced age at the time.

Pope Francis, who took over the papacy after the resignation, also asked his followers on Twitter to pray for Pope Benedict.

“Let us ask the Lord to console him and to sustain him in this witness of love for the Church, until the end,” he said.