Cardinals move the suppress the truth

Prominent cardinals want to smooth the waters

An Italian publisher has announced a "tell-all" book about years of tension between Benedict XVI and his successor Francis. Author: Benedict's long-time papal secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein.

In the Italian media, the debate about Archbishop Georg Gänswein's forthcoming autobiographical book continues. Under the title "Nothing but the truth", the long-time personal secretary of Benedict XVI reports in it, among other things, hitherto unknown details about the not always conflict-free coexistence of Pope Francis and ex-Pope Benedict in the years from 2013 until the latter's death in 2022.

After some Italian newspapers interpreted these reports as an attack on Pope Francis, prominent churchmen have now spoken out about the relationship between the former and the current pope.

"Words of appreciation"

Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, who is responsible for canonisations, told the daily Corriere della Sera (Saturday) that he had only ever heard words of appreciation, respect and mutual affection from Benedict XVI. On the reports of tensions between different factions in the Church, the Cardinal remarked: "When something like this happens, it shows that something is wrong on the spiritual level. (...) It is a pity when there are such insinuations and attempts in the Church".

However, this does not concern the "heart of the Church", but only its "human dimension", Semeraro stressed. There have always been "fans" of individual popes in the history of the Church. But if one wanted to construct such "fan communities", there was "something devilish" about it, because it would create divisions that certainly did not come from the Holy Spirit.

Semeraro also commented on the calls for a rapid beatification for Benedict XVI, recalling that after the death of John Paul II in 2005, the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger had tried to put the brakes on an accelerated beatification with the argument that such discernment processes "needed a reasonable time".

"Fraternal closeness"

The day before, Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin had recalled in an interview in the same daily newspaper that the coexistence of two successors of Peter had been a "potentially delicate situation" for the Church. It was possible that someone had wanted to take advantage of it, but that did not happen: "We all saw the fraternal closeness." Their affection, palpable in gestures, looks and words, had "moved and comforted many people".

Their differences in temperament and ideas were "part of the beauty of the Church". Both had stressed that the Church's only mission is to proclaim Jesus Christ and that the Church must not be self-centred. Following Jesus and proclaiming his salvation to the world is the true source of any authentic reform of the Church, Parolin stressed.

Parolin reported that he had visited the ex-Pope once a year at Christmas. He said that he radiated calm and deep peace. Benedict was a man of great kindness and humility, Parolin said. That is why he believes that "the malicious caricatures drawn by some to denigrate him will soon blow away in the wind".

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