Former Pope Benedict XVI is 'very sick,' Pope Francis says

Former Pope Benedict, who became the first pontiff in 600 years to step down from his position, is “very sick,” Pope Francis said on Wednesday and asked people to pray for him. 

The Pope urged Church members to keep Benedict, 95, in their thoughts a day after the Vatican announced in a statement that Benedict’s health had suddenly deteriorated. 

"I would like to ask all of you for a special prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict, who, in silence, is sustaining the Church," Francis said on Wednesday at the end of his weekly general audience.

"Let us remember him. He is very sick, asking the Lord to console and sustain him in this witness of love for the Church, until the end," Francis said.

Benedict had been suffering from respiratory problems over the Christmas holidays. Those who had seen the former pope said that his body was weak but his mind was still sharp. 

In the statement, the Vatican said that Benedict was receiving medical attention to keep his condition under control. The Vatican did not give further details about his condition. 

Church Leaders from around the world joined the Pope, urging the faithful to keep Benedict in their prayers. 

"This morning I received the news that there is great concern in Rome about the health of the Pope Emeritus. And so we especially want to include him in our prayers," German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich, told churchgoers.

Benedict was the first German pope in 1,000 years to be elected to succeed Pope John Paul II on April 19, 2005. He was pope for almost eight years before he announced his intention to resign on February 11, 2013. Since then, he has been living in a former convent inside the Vatican gardens, along with his secretary, some aides, and medical staff.