Pope Benedict XVI on Dec. 29, 2012 at the Vatican. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty),ALBERTO PIZZOLI
For those of you craving a scandal, you may be disappointed. Pope Benedict XVI, who announced his retirement yesterday, reportedly had secret heart surgery three months ago to replace his pacemaker. The Vatican released a statement saying that the pope has been in fact wearing a pacemaker for some time, but that his health is good. The newspaper II Sole 24 says that the 85-year-old has had a pacemaker for the past 10 years. The surgery went well and the pope maintained his schedule, but it reportedly made him think about whether he was fit to stay in power.
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