A journalistic statement known this Tuesday by Pope Francis changed the future history of the Papacy in the bimillennial life of the Church. Joseph Ratzinger, Benedict XVII, who resigned in February 2013, more than nine years ago from the Petrine ministry as Bishop of Rome, will be the first and only Pope Emeritus among the 266 pontiffs recognized by the Church.
Benedict’s resignation was a gesture of extraordinary importance in the history of the Papacy, which opened the doors to a modernization of the so-called Immobile Church. The resignation of a pontiff has become a normal fact, planned. missing, yes, a coding that the current Pope is called to carry out, but he cannot do it while Joseph Ratzinger, 95 years old, stay alive why The figure of the Pope Emeritus will be eliminated.
Francis, renunciate, will be the first bishop emeritus of Rome, who will dress in black and may be called Monsignor. He prefers to be called Father Jorge after him during his long apostolate in Buenos Aires.
Francis seeks to eliminate the position of pope emeritus, after the death of Benedict XVI. Photo: AFP
Cardinal status he lost it when he was elected Pope. The cardinals are advisers to the pontiff, who cannot hold both titles at the same time.
The interview with Francis
The prospect of his resignation and his placement at the top of the Church was announced by Jorge Bergoglio, taking advantage of thel light tone of an interview two hours to the largest Latin American television giant, the Mexican Televisa Univisión also extended to the United States.
Francisco is giving continuous interviewswhich is partly explained by the need to stay in the center of the stage due to the problems caused by the acute pain in his right knee. Valentina Alazraki, the talented Televisa correspondent who has accompanied the last pontiffs on more than 150 trips, is a favorite interlocutor for Jorge Bergoglio to expand on all kinds of topics.
He told her that her knee is better, undergoing intense therapy with infiltrations. The knee hurts less and he can walk but feel “lowered”.
Francis in a wheelchair, during an audience. Photo: AP
Pope He opened up about his resignation. “I have no intention of doing it at the moment, but if I feel in the future that the Lord asks me to, The answer is yes“, said.
Clarion published two recent articles about Bergoglio’s willingness to accompany a substantiated process of discernment, something very Jesuitto face his resignation unavoidable in the medium term if the problems in his right leg prevent him from fulfilling the heavy schedules of his pontificate, which include apostolic trips, meetings and audiences with the faithful and other movements that they will become more and more difficult.
an absolute monarch
The feudal church organization is super centralized in the Pope, an absolute monarch subjected to a work overload.
Currently the Argentine Pope is in good health beyond the problems created by osteoarthritis in his right leg and hip to exercise the pontificate.
In the interview with Televisa, Jorge Bergoglio addressed “head on” the question of his future in case the time comes to resign, one day.
The Argentine Pope is in good health beyond the problems caused by osteoarthritis in his leg and hip. Photo: AP
He clarified that if he resigns will not live in the Vatican nor will he return to Argentina.
“I am the bishop of Rome and would be the bishop emeritus of Rome”, he explained.
Many experts, especially Jesuits, are of the opinion that the position that Ratzinger invented when resigning as pontiff, that of papa emeritus, contains risky ambiguities that must be eliminated with a pontifical act that clearly establishes the place that resigning pontiffs will occupy in the future at your expense. It has to be very clear that Dad there is only one.
A conflictive figure for Bergoglio
Pope Francis talks with German Archbishop Georg Gaeswein. Photo: EFE
The title of Pope Emeritus that Joseph Ratzinger gave himself when he resigned from the ministry of Bishop of Rome, allows him to be called “Holiness”, wear the white cassock and the cap or skullcap on the head of the same color, sign your documents or letters as pope. And living in the Vatican, in a convent in the Vatican gardens accompanied by his secretary, the German bishop Georg Gaenswein, a conflictive figure for Francisco.
After several episodes that opened gaps in the trust that should be full between the Casa de Santa Marta, the Vatican hotel where Francis resides, and the monastery in the gardens where Ratzinger lives accompanied by the faithful Bishop Gaenswein, his personal secretary, and four women consecrated women who care for him, the pope put Gaenswein on permanent leave. Monsignor is still prefect of the Papal Household but has been removed by decision of the Pope.
Ratzinger’s bishop secretary had made the Argentine pope jump from the throne when he said in May 2016 that the election of Benedict XVI as pope emeritus meant that there are not two popes, but in fact there is an extended ministry, with an active member and a contemplative member. That is why Ratzinger has not renounced his name of Benedict XVI, nor his white cassock and receives the correct name of “Holiness”.
Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, in an image from 2019. Photo: AFP
The worst clash occurred at the beginning of 2020 when a book appeared signed by the conservative cardinal “minister” of the Pope, Robert Sarah, African, ultraconservative, against openings who intended to open the priesthood to married priests in the Amazon, when an expected Synod was held that called for many changes that Francis left aside in his final document of the world episcopal assembly.
Joseph Ratzinger was introduced as co-author of the book. After the Pope’s silent but bitter reaction to the interference, Benedict withdrew the signature, Cardinal Sarah protested and Bishop Gaenswein, a Conservative, was accused of having manipulated the old Pope Emeritus and lost the post of Prefect of the Papal Household.
As for Ratzinger, Jorge Bergoglio has spared no praise for him as he handled his status as Pope Emeritus, the position they are preparing to liquidate.
As Bishop Emeritus of Rome, a descendant of Saint Peter, the Church’s first Episcopalian, Francis explained that “it could be” that he decided inhabit the Archbasilica of San Giovanni in the Laterantraditional seat of the bishops of the city, where a cardinal exercises the vicariate on behalf of the reigning Pope.
The Archbasilica of San Giovanni in Lateran, the traditional seat of the bishops of Rome. Photo: Victor Sokolowicz
Hence, Bergoglio highlighted in the interview that his title will be that of Bishop Emeritus of Romea condition common to Episcopalians retired from their sees.
In the interview, Francis told Valentina Alazrakhi that, as he already thought when he was preparing his retirement as Archbishop Emeritus of Buenos Aires when he was elected Pope in the Conclave of March 2013, he would like to be a kind of parish priest in a roman churchconfess the faithful and go spiritually to the sick.
But the fact that Jorge Bergoglio is still alive as Bishop Emeritus of Rome after his resignation may be an important reality in the events that will take place before and after the election of his successor.
Cardinal Luis Tagle, another of the favorites to succeed Francisco. Photo: Tiziana Fabi / AFP
The ultraconservatives who want to end their adventure, more promised than doneof reforms in the Church have begun at least two years ago to turn from the schismatic conspiracy to the decision to focus their anti Francesco action on the preparation of the Conclave that will elect his successor.
The Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, is the visible head of the conservative current. He has sent all the members of the Sacred College books that analyze the currents of the Conclave of cardinal electors, under 80 years of age, who must elect the new Pope.
An action criticized because it is assumed that the cardinals cannot engage in activities and negotiations, since the Pope is elected with divine contribution. According to tradition, the Holy Spirit descends on the cardinals and enlightens them in the election. The next one will be 267th. Pope in the history of the Church.
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi. Photo: AP
On the Pope’s side, the candidates most promoted by the progressives are the Cardinal of Bologna, Matteo Zuppi, Italian, currently the favorite, and the Filipino Cardinal Luis “Chito” Tagle, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, the very important Vatican “ministry” that deals with the missions.
Francis brought “Chito” Tagle to Rome from the Philippines. totally identified with the reformist ideas of Bergoglio, as Cardinal Matteo Zuppi According to the observers, to prepare him to be knowledgeable in the internal affairs of the Curia and to show his values.
One of the two could be Jorge Bergoglio’s successor and many believe that the living presence of the new ex-Pope will influence the fifteen days that normally happen between the convocation of the Conclave and the election of the successor, fundamental in the weaving and handling of the selection of the new pontiff.
Vatican correspondent
ap