Former pontiff ‘extremely frail’ — report

BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — Former pope Benedict XVI became seriously ill himself after visiting his sick brother in Germany in June and is “extremely frail,” according to a report in the Monday, 3 August edition of the German Passauer

Neue Presse newspaper.

Benedict, 93, is suffering from erysipelas of the face, a virus that causes a facial rash and episodes of severe pain, the newspaper reported, citing the former pope’s biographer Peter Seewald.

“According to Seewald, the Pope emeritus is now extremely frail,” the report says. “His thinking and his memory are quick, but his voice is hardly audible at the moment.”

Seewald reportedly visited Benedict in Rome on Saturday to present him with his biography.