Ratzinger has difficulty speaking: “God has taken my word from me to make me appreciate silence”
To reveal the difficulties of Pope Benedict XVI was the new Maltese cardinal Mario Grech, whom Ratzinger himself had ordained bishop almost fifteen years ago. The prelate recounted some moments of the conversation he had with the Pope Emeritus: “He has difficulty in expressing himself, but at the same time lucid and smiling and with the desire to communicate”.
The Pope emeritus Benedict XVI is suffering more and more, for some time he has had such problems with walking that he is forced to move in wheelchairs but now he has difficulty even in speaking even if it remains perfectly shiny. This was revealed by the new Maltese cardinal, Mario Grech, whom Ratzinger himself had ordained bishop almost fifteen years ago. Grech recounted some moments of the conversation he had with the former Pontiff last Saturday when, at the end of the Consistory, together with the other ten prelates just appointed and present in Rome, led by Pope Francis, he visited Ratzinger in the chapel of the monastery “Mater Ecclesiae “, in the Vatican. To reveal the difficulties in expressing himself was the Pope Emeritus himself in a sentence of his speech to the cardinals, as Grech recounted.
“He has difficulty in expressing himself, in fact he said at the beginning of the meeting ‘The Lord took my word from me to make me appreciate silence’ but he tried to encourage us to go on in the adventure with the Lord, ”revealed the Maltese cardinal in an interview with vaticannews. “It was a moment of joy to find myself with Pope Benedict who believed in me and created me a bishop in 2006. To see this Shepherd, this man, with the years that weigh, but at the same time lucid and smiling and with the desire to communicating the experience he is having of the Spirit has encouraged us a lot, ”added Grech.
Pope Ratzinger at his brother’s funeral
During the brief meeting with Benedict XVI, Pope Francis wished to present all the new cardinals individually to the Pope Emeritus who prayed with them and blessed them. The visit to the Mater Ecclesiae monastery in the Vatican has now become a custom, always renewed starting from the 2016 Consistory, that is, since Ratzinger no longer participated in the celebrations for the creation of cardinals in St. Peter’s Basilica due to health problems.
