Pope Francis Pays Visit to Predecessor Benedict XVI for His Birthday

By Manuella Lamorena, Christian Post Contributor Saturday, April 15, 2017

Pope Francis paid a visit to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI to send him early birthday and Easter greetings.

The head of the Roman Catholic Church went to the Mater Ecclesiae monastery to call on the former pope to extend his Easter greeting before Sunday celebrations begin, according to The Vatican Press Office.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI will also celebrate his 90th birthday this Easter Sunday. As such, Pope Francis also conveyed his early birthday greeting to the retired pope.

Retired Pope Benedict XVI will hold a small celebration for his birthday on Monday, according to his personal secretary Monsignor Georg Gänswein.

"We will celebrate in a very small way, very strict. Easter Monday, in the afternoon, only at home, with a very Bavarian aspect," the prefect of the Papal Household said.

The pope emeritus' health remains satisfactory despite his advanced age, his secretary said.

"Pope Benedict is in good shape," Gänswein said in an interview with Vatican Radio. "What bothers him most are his legs."

The monsignor revealed that the retired pope sometimes moves around with the aid of a walker.

"Otherwise, he's quite clear in his head, and quite bright," he added. "He participates in everything. He reads, he prays, he listens to music, and he has visitors."

To celebrate Benedict's 90th birth anniversary, a book called "Cooperatores Veritaris: Tributes to Pope emeritus Benedict XVI on his 90^{th Birthday," was launched by the Joseph Ratzinger Foundation. The essays in the compilation were written by scholars who received the Ratzinger Prize since its inauguration in 2011.}

Foundation president Fr. Federico Lombardi told the Vatican Radio that the inspiration for the book title was from the former pope's episcopal motto and is an encapsulation of his life and work.

The Philatelic and Numismatic Office of the Vatican, in charge of issuance of postal stamps and Vatican coins, will also come out with a stamp to mark the retired pope's 90th birthday.