Journal |
JoMaCC
Monographic journal issue | 3 | 2 | 2024
Research Article | The Pope and the Emeritus. On the Co-Existence of Bergoglio and Ratzinger
The Pope and the Emeritus. On the Co-Existence of Bergoglio and Ratzinger
Abstract
From 13 March 2013 to 31 December 2022, Pope Francis served as Bishop of Rome while his predecessor was still alive and living in the Vatican. Both Bergoglio and Ratzinger were clear about their respective roles from the outset, but Pope Francis wanted the former pope not to withdraw into silence and even encouraged him to continue offering advice. While the pastoral direction of the new pontificate was unfolding, in part diverging from that of previous decades, Bergoglio’s opponents tried on several occasions to involve Ratzinger in opposition to the new pope, as if Benedict XVI were the authentic guardian of a Tradition that Bergoglio was undermining. Ratzinger rejected these attempts – partly facilitated by his own private secretary – and eventually chose to withdraw into silence to avoid further instrumentalisation. Despite the difficulties that arose during this papal cohabitation, this experience nonetheless set a precedent, the value and limits of which can only be fully appreciated with the passage of time.
Submitted: July 29, 2024 | Accepted: Sept. 6, 2024 | Published Oct. 24, 2024 | Language: it
Keywords Vatican • Papal cohabitation • Pope Benedict XVI • Pope Francis • Pope’s resignation
Copyright © 2024 Enrico Galavotti. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/JoMaCC/2785-6046/2024/02/006
