Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Keeps Promise; Remains Low Key on His 86th Birthday Amid Talks of Ill Health

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI kept his promise on Tuesday, April 16, to remain low key after he had resigned as pope on Feb 28, 2013. It was his 86^th birthday, but his only public appearance was to celebrate Mass at the Domus Sanctae Marthae.

The former pope was born April 16, 1927, a Holy Saturday, and the water used to baptise him on the same morning he was born was newly blessed water since during those days the Easter Vigil was held on the morning of Holy Saturday.

He spent the rest of the day at Castel Gandolfo, accompanied by his older brother, Msgr Georg Ratzinger, amid talks of poor health. The last time the former pope was seen in public was on March 23 when he greeted then newly elected Pope Francis. Even then, the pope emeritus appeared frail and weak, although the Vatican had insisted he is not ill but simply old and tired - the very reasons he used in resigning his post after 8 years of reign as leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

On Tuesday, it was the turn of Pope Francis to greet his predecessor by offering his Tuesday morning Mass in honor of the pope emeritus. Pope Francis's prayer was, "May God be with him, comfort him, and give him much solace."

Pope Francis also called the pope emeritus at Castel Gandolfo to personally greet him on the special occasion.

Pope Emeritus Benedict will stay at the papal summer residence until April 23, the feast of his patron, St George, which he shares with the current pope who was known as Buenos Aires Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio before he was elected in the March conclave as pontiff.