Indian Diocese Loses 5 Catholic Priests to COVID in 10 Days
Happy Birthday Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI: The retired pope turned 94 on 16th April. He was born on April 16, 1927 in Germany. The pope has led a quiet life since his retirement in 2013.
In 2020, the pope celebrated his 93rd birthday under lockdown. His personal secretary, Archbishop Georg Ganswein, told Vatican News, the pope listened to music from his homeland Germany. The day began with mass including prayer and bible reading. Many people sent him messages wishing him a happy birthday.
In 2017, celebrations to mark his 90th birthday included a Bavarian party.
In a 2008 speech to participants in the plenary assembly of Pontifical Council for the Family, Pope Benedict warned the society about the dangers of neglecting the elderly.
“The elderly, including many grandparents, find themselves in a sort of 'parking area:' some realize they are a burden to their family and prefer to live alone or in retirement homes with all the consequences that such decisions entail.”
He called on Catholics to work together to defeat “all forms of marginalization, for it is not only they -- grandfathers, grandmothers, senior citizens -- who are being injured by the individualistic mindset, but everyone.”