Vatican City: After the ordination of the new Cardinals, the novice visited the Pope Emeritus Benedict XIV along with the present Pontiff, Pope Francis. They visited the emeritus on 5th October, 2019 soon after the ordination ceremony concluded. The Cardinals and the Pontiff traveled on a bus to the residence of Pope Emeritus, situated at the Mater Ecclesia in the Vatican Garden. Pope Benedict XIV spoke to the Cardinals about their duties and how they are bound to the Pope for the future of the Catholic Church. Later, he granted his apostolic blessings to the newly appointed Cardinals.
Pope Benedict XIV had stepped down from the status of the Holy Father, something that has happened for the first time in history, on 28th February, 2013 citing health issues. Since his resignation, the pope Emeritus lives in solitude and prayer at the Mater Ecclesia in the Vatican Garden.
