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Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI celebrates 90th birthday with beer, party at Vatican

FILE – In this Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015 file photo, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, right, hugs Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica during the ceremony marking the start of the Holy Year, at the Vatican. A “modest” 90th birthday party is being planned for Benedict XVI, who stunned the Catholic church by resigning in 2013. His aide, Monsignor Georg Gaenswein, says Benedict’s birthday, which falls on Easter Sunday this year, will be celebrated on Monday in Bavarian style in keeping with the emeritus pontiff’s roots. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File)

From WN.COM

Benedict XVI, who resigned as pontiff in 2013, has celebrated his 90th birthday with a mug of beer and the company of visitors from his native Bavaria in Germany, The Associated Press reported.

Photos by the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano of the celebration showed Benedict sipping a beer. His brother, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, also joined the party and enjoyed a beer.

Looking happy, the frail Benedict also admired a gift basket whose goodies included pretzels.

He was born on April 16, 1927, in southern Germany. But since the birthday coincided this year with Easter Sunday, Benedict was feted on Monday.

On a sunny, mild day, guests sat outside the monastery on Vatican City grounds where Benedict has lived since he became the first pontiff to resign in 600 years, stunning the Catholic Church.

WN.com, Jim Berrie

For more on this story go to: https://article.wn.com/view/2017/04/17/Pope_Emeritus_Benedict_XVI_Celebrates_90th_Birthday_With_Bee/

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