Vatican denies Benedict's health has deteriorated

A Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi has denied a report that claims the health of former Pope Benedict has deteriorated.

Father Lombardi was responding to a report in the Spanish daily El Mundo.

The report in El Mundo quotes Spanish Journalist Paloma Gomez-Borrero, who said Benedict XVI had suffered a deterioration in health over the past 15 days.

However, Fr. Lombardi insisted that Benedict was not ill, and this has been certified by his doctors.

The Bishop-emeritus of Rome currently resides at the papal residence of Castel Gandolfo, but will return to the Vatican to live once renovations at a former monastery are completed in May.