VATICAN CITY — Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s personal secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, has been in isolation for the past ten days after testing positive for COVID-19, according to German media.
The German news agency, Katholisch.de, reported April 20 that Archbishop Gänswein has been in isolation since April 11, a time period that included all of the Easter Triduum and Benedict XVI’s 95th birthday.
Benedict XVI has tested negative for COVID-19, according to Archbishop Gänswein, as have all other residents of the Mater Ecclesiae monastery, the retired pope’s residence inside of Vatican City.
While the 65-year-old personal secretary was unable to join the Pope Emeritus in celebrating his 95th birthday on Holy Saturday, Pope Francis paid a visit to Benedict XVI’s residence ahead of his birthday on April 13.
Archbishop Gänswein has said that both he and Benedict XVI have received three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.