Archbishop Gänswein - more details about views on Pope Francis

Archbishop Gänswein on Leo XIV: "The confusion of recent years must be overcome"

Archbishop Georg Gänswein has declared that the Church "now needs doctrinal clarity" during the pontificate of Leo XIV: "The confusion of recent years must be overcome." Gänswein, the longtime private secretary to Pope Benedict XVI and current Apostolic Nuncio to Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia, spoke on Monday in the newspaper Corriere della Sera.

One of the tools for overcoming the confusion of Francis's pontificate, he said, are "the structures that already exist. The institutions of the Church are neither a leprosy nor a threat to the Pope. They are there to help the Popes. One cannot govern alone and distrust one's own institutions."

With the term "leprosy," Gänswein seemed to be explicitly referring to a statement by Pope Francis. In a 2013 interview, he claimed: "The leaders of the Church were often narcissistic, flattered by courtiers, and incited to evil. The court is the leprosy of the papacy." He would "do everything" to "change this," Francis said at the time.

"If we combine Bergoglio's black shoes with Ratzinger's crystal-clear doctrine, without striving for originality at any price, I think Leo XIV will offer a beautiful combination," Gänswein explained. "Yes, he will be able to represent the synthesis of the best of both."

"When I saw him step onto the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, I said to myself: Visually and acoustically, this Pope inspires hope, hope, hope..." the Archbishop emphasized in the Italian newspaper. "The very choice of the name, in the tradition of Saint Leo the Great and Leo III, who crowned Charlemagne in 800, is very significant. The name and clothing make it clear that there will be no continuity, but a completely new phase."

"His experience, his ability to speak many languages, the fact that he was a missionary but also worked for two years in the Curia, make him both a pastor and a reigning Pope," said Gänswein. "He comes not from just one area, but from many areas simultaneously. And that will enable him to address everyone."

"I believe that Leo XIV will certainly move into the Apostolic Palace," Gänswein explained. "This palace is intended to be the residence of the popes. That is its historical function." He himself could "only add that I am happy when the Pope turns on the lights in the Apostolic Palace in the evening and people know he is there."

According to media reports, the new Pope will indeed move back into the Papal Residence in the Apostolic Palace. Pope Francis, who died on April 21, 2025, did not live there during his more than twelve-year pontificate. Instead, he preferred to remain in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, a hotel within the Vatican where the cardinals are housed for the conclave.

According to media reports, the new pope will indeed move back into the Papal Residence in the Apostolic Palace. Pope Francis, who died on April 21, 2025, did not live there during his more than twelve-year pontificate. Instead, he preferred to remain in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, a hotel within the Vatican, where the cardinals are housed for the co

Relationships between Gänswein and Pope Francis have been particularly difficult recently. Since the beginning of 2020, Gänswein had been "on leave" from his post as Prefect of the Papal Household, according to the official terminology of the Holy See.

Gänswein, who was ordained a bishop in 2013, wrote in his memoirs entitled "Nothing but the Truth" that Pope Francis had told him at the end of January 2020, following a series of problems surrounding the publication of a book about the celibacy of Pope Benedict and Cardinal Robert Sarah: "From now on, you will stay at home. You will accompany Benedict, who needs you, and shield him."

The archbishop replied at the time that he could not understand the decision but accepted it "in obedience." The pontiff replied: "You said it well. I know that, because in my personal experience, it is a good thing to 'accept obediently'."

When the first observers noticed that Gänswein was no longer attending various events hosted by the Pope as Prefect of the Papal Household, he asked the Pope whether he could return to his normal work. In a written statement, Francis stated: "Dear Brother, thank you very much for your letter. For the moment, I believe it is better to maintain the status quo. I thank you for everything you do for Pope Benedict: may he lack nothing. I pray for you, please do the same for me. May the Lord bless you and the Blessed Mother protect you. Fraternally, Francis."

Since the situation was not resolved in this way, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI also wrote to Pope Francis asking whether he could provide clarity for Gänswein "with a fatherly conversation."

The private secretary wrote in "Nothing but the Truth": "A few days later, the Pope summoned me to a meeting in Santa Marta, where he confirmed that nothing would change. However, the Pope Emeritus' renewed request at the end of his letter of February 17th elicited no further response: 'I humbly ask you once again for a word about Archbishop Gänswein.'"

About half a year later, Gänswein explained in another conversation that he had perceived his leave of absence as a punishment, to which Pope Francis emphasized that he had not meant it that way. The fact that the media interpreted it that way was not a problem, the Pope said: "There are many who write against you and against me, but they deserve no attention." Afterward, Francis "once again recounted some of his arduous experiences in Argentina" and said that "every time obstacles were placed in his path, it made him mature."

In the recently published book interview with El Sucesor, Pope Francis accused Gänswein of containing "untruths" in the book "Nothing but the Truth." He also argued that the timing of the book's publication—which was not Gänswein's responsibility but was determined by the publisher—shortly after the death of Benedict XVI represented a "lack of decency and humanity."

On Monday, Gänswein said: "I suffered during those years, it's true, but I had already clarified this with Francis before being appointed Nuncio. And I thank him, or those behind him, who decided to send me here to the Baltic countries, because he allowed me to resume my service to the Church."

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