Pope Benedict XVI extremely ill after visiting ailing brother in Germany: Report

The former Pope Benedict XVI has reportedly become extremely ill after returning to the Vatican from Germany. He was visiting his native Bavaria to see his brother who was sick and died last month. The 93-year-old has been suffering from a viral infection since he came back to Rome, a German newspaper said quoting a biographer of the retired pontiff, Peter Seewald. 

Seewald has published several lengthy interviews with Benedict and recently handed over the copy of the biography to the former pontiff on August 1. He has described Benedict as being optimistic and even writing about himself if his health improves in the upcoming days. However, Seewald said that the former Pope is physically very frail. Back in June, Benedict had made the four-day visit to the Bavarian city of Regensburg to his ailing brother. 

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It was his first trip outside Italy since he resigned as pope in 2013 and has lived at a monastery in the Vatican City since shortly after that. According to reports, Seewald has also told German daily Passauer Neue Presse that along with growing frail, the former Pope’s voice is barely audible. His brother, the Reverend Georg Ratzinger died on July 1 at age 96 who ordained a priest on the same day in 1951 as Benedict.  

Benedict's papacy

Benedict was elected to the papacy in 2005, succeeding St John Paul II. The former Joseph Ratzinger was the first pontiff in 600 years to resign the post. He was succeeded by Pope Francis. According to a separate international media agency, a Vatican spokesperson has no comment on the report of Benedict being unwell and his personal secretary, Archbishop Georg Ganswein did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Peter Seewald has even said that the former pope was suffering from a viral infection called shingles that causes painful rashes and is common among old people. 

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Image: AP