Catholic churches around New Jersey prayed for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on Wednesday after it was revealed that he is in poor health at his residence within the Vatican.

The Vatican said the 95-year-old is under a doctor's care but added that his health is worsening and that he has been looking increasingly frail.

Pope Francis shared the news during a public address.

"I want to ask you all for a special prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict who sustains the Church in his silence. He is very sick," Francis said.

Locally, Benedict was responsible for naming Bishop David O'Connell, to his post as head of the Trenton Diocese. O'Connell also sent out a message: "I ask the clergy, religious and faithful of the Diocese of Trenton to join me in praying for Pope Benedict in these days."

The Holy Innocents Roman Catholic Church in Neptune has asked its parishioners to pray for Benedict.

Benedict, born in Germany as Joseph Ratzinger, will most notably be recalled as the first pope in 600 years to retire. He did so in 2013.

"I think that one of the greatest lessons of his life will be the fact that he taught that humility is still a virtue. The papacy is not about me," said Dr. Christopher Bellitto, a professor of History and Church History at Kean University. He also wrote a book titled "101 Questions and Answers on Popes and the Papacy."

Benedict sited his age and health as the factors that prompted him to retire.

"I take him at his word, that I don't know that he was every fully comfortable being Pope," Bellitto said.

Benedict was a conservative as pope. At times, he criticized for his handling of the priest sex abuse scandal and accused of mishandling four cases while serving in Germany as an archbishop.

Pope Francis followed Benedict. Of their differences, Bellitto said Francis is certainly more transparent.

"Under John Paul II and Benedict, if you disagreed, you were told to be quiet about it. Under Francis, he wants the disagreement because he believes that good things come of this disagreement," Bellitto explained.

Bellito suggests that Benedict legitimized the idea that a pope could step down and retire. However, some suggest there was often confusion.

Some question if there are two popes because he still wore white and kept the name Benedict.