Archbishop Gänswein indicates in new interview that many Cardinals would have been happier with Cardinal Scola as Pope

Father Georg: "Many cardinals today would be in harmony with Angelo Scola as Pope"

Gänswein, Ratzinger's secretary: "I have personal esteem and sympathy for the former cardinal of Milan. But I can't say anything else, in Santa Marta there is great sensitivity"

"I think quite a few cardinals would have comfortably lived with Angelo Scola being Pope". The words seem to flow comfortably in the broad smile that accompanies them. Father Georg Gänswein, personal secretary of Joseph Ratzinger for almost twenty years, does not look for polemical ideas or catchphrases, but does not shy away from and does not get around the questions, except one.

Looking back on it now, on a Milanese spring afternoon in 2023, would you personally have appreciated the election as Pope of the then archbishop of Milan, Cardinal Angelo Scola?

"I cannot say that I was a friend of Cardinal Scola, but I am bound by a great personal sympathy and profound esteem for him. But to say certain things today, knowing that there is great sensitivity in Santa Marta...".

Born in 1950, priest of the Archdiocese of Freiburg, Germany, since 1984 and Doctor of Canon Law. Called to the Vatican in 1995, first to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and the following year to that for the Doctrine of the Faith, in 2003 he became personal secretary of then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. After his election to the pontificate, on April 19, 2005, Benedict XVI confirmed him in the post and in 2012 appointed him Prefect of the papal household, consecrating him Archbishop, on January 6, 2013, with the Titular See of Urbisaglia. Pope Francis kept him in the responsibility of the office, however, entrusting him, since January 2020, with the task of dedicating himself exclusively to the Pope Emeritus. And now that Ratzinger is gone, he is waiting for a new destination. But in the meantime he wrote, together with the journalist, Saverio Gaeta, a book: "Nothing but the truth-My life alongside Benedict XVI". And passing through Milan for a presentation at the Mondadori bookstore, he paused for a few moments to recall the relationship between "his" Pope and Cardinal Angelo Scola. The Archbishop emeritus of Milan himself used words of great affection and esteem, on the death of Benedict XVI: "He was my friend but even more a father, never letting me miss his help even in certain difficult moments of my life".

What memories do you have of the relationship between these two important figures of the Catholic Church?

"The two official visits that Ratzinger made to Scola during his Pontificate come to mind. The first was in Venice, where Scola was Patriarch. In May 2011. Beyond the setting of the city, which alone has already left me beautiful indelible memories, the welcome was extraordinary and then the human sympathy and theological harmony between the Pope and the Patriarch was already very well noted. They had known each other for some time, precisely in a context of theological reflections, and at that point they found themselves in beautiful harmony. To describe it, the image of a sailboat propelled by a good breeze comes to mind".

And a year later the situation resurfaced, however in Milan, where in the meantime Scola had become archbishop precisely by choice of Ratzinger. “However, that was not a visit to the diocese but it took place on the occasion of the World Meeting of Families. They were the same two people, even if the cardinal had changed roles and cities and I still remember very well seeing them really happy when they entered the San Siro stadium packed with people".

At that time there was no talk of a potential successor because it was not even conceivable that a Pope would resign. But on 11 February 2013, things suddenly changed.

"And even more starting from 28 February when at 8 pm the Pope signed the abdication and boarded the helicopter that took him to Castel Gandolfo, because the Mater Ecclesiae monastery was not yet ready to host him. I remember very well that many, and you journalists in particular, rushed to say that Cardinal Scola would have been the natural, indeed even taken for granted, successor".

And what is reality, as far as you remember?

«Pope Benedict XVI did not speak to anyone, he did not answer to anyone, precisely because he did not want to and in any case could not influence the Conclave in any way. But as there are the so-called "kingmakers", there are also the "papa makers" who, perhaps even starting from true facts, such as the theological and human harmony between the two, also added a lot of imagination. But the Catholic and Church world is large and diversified, there is always some incalculable element and focusing only on Rome is a mistake".

Cardinal Scola himself, before leaving for the conclave, told his collaborators in the archbishopric to be "calm" because he would not be elected. But you who have been so close to Pope Ratzinger, would you have been happy if the choice of cardinals had fallen on the archbishop of Milan? "Beyond my personal esteem and sympathy, you understand that my every sentence on this could be interpreted as a negative manifestation towards the current Pontiff. And as I told you, in Santa Marta there is great sensitivity…."

So I try to say it and she tells me if I'm wrong. In my opinion, from everything you have said it is not difficult to deduce that you would have liked very much Angelo Scola as successor to Pope Benedict XVI. But this I say. No verbal response. Hands clasped in front of the mouth. Wide smile. Eyes narrowed. A nodding of the head. But then you add: "I think quite a few cardinals would have conformtably lived with Angelo Scola as Pope".

And what does it mean for a Cardinal to live well in a pontificate?

"It means feeling in tune not only externally but also internally".

Source