Ahead of 85th Birthday, Benedict Asks Strength

Staring down both his 85th birthday and the seventh anniversary of his papacy, Pope Benedict today asked the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square for both prayers and strength, reports the AP. "Next Thursday, on the occasion of the seventh anniversary of my election to the See of Peter, I ask for your prayers, so that the Lord gives me the strength to fulfill the mission he entrusted to me." Benedict's birthday is tomorrow; the pontiff will celebrate with older brother Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, who has flown in from Germany. (More Pope Benedict XVI stories.)