The personal secretary to Pope emeritus Benedict XVI has said that his health was 'slowly, serenely fading' - claims which the Vatican was keen to temper.
In an interview published on Thursday in Italian magazine BenEssere, personal secretary Georg Gänswein said the former pope was 'an old man, of course, but very lucid. Unfortunately, it's become difficult for him to walk and he needs to use a walking frame'.
Benedict XVI, whose real name is Joseph Ratzinger, will turn 89 in April. 'He's like a candle which is slowly, serenely fading. He is serene, at peace with God, himself and the world,' said Gänswein.
Pope Benedict XVI's health is said to be slowly fading, according to his personal secretary who gave an interview this week
Benedict XVI became the first pope to resign in 2013 and according to Georg Gänswein (right) he can no longer walk unassisted
The 89-year-old former pontiff is reported to be 'still lucid' and lives out of the public eye in a former convent in the grounds of the Vatican
'He is interested in everything and still has his refined, subtle sense of humour. He still loves cats. Contessa and Zorro, two cats that live in our gardens, come often to say hello to the pope emeritus,' he added.
Benedict XVI served as pope between 2005 and 2013, when he became the first head of the Catholic Church to resign in seven centuries, amid speculation he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, unable to cope at the top of an institution beset by scandals.
He said he no longer had the strength of mind or body to carry on, but his health appeared to improve after he stepped down and moved into a former convent in the grounds of the Vatican.
Credit: Reuters
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