Pope Benedict XVI wound up a two-week vacation at a mountain resort in Northern Italy on Wednesday, July 29, 2009, by telling reporters that his “guardian angel” let him down when he fell and broke his wrist earlier in the month. He said the angel was clearly acting “on superior orders.”
No details about the fall were released – except that it was accidental and that it happened inside the chalet where he was staying. It was the first significant health issue in Benedict’s papacy.
Among people over the age of 65, falls are the leading cause of deaths by injuries. Older people face a higher risk of falling as they tend to have more problems with eyesight, movement and balance.
“Perhaps the Lord wanted to teach me more patience and humility, give me more time for prayer and meditation,” the 82-year-old pope added as he left the chalet.