Pope Benedict died on December 31, 2022 at Monastero Mater Ecclesiae, Vatican City. On February 5, Pope Francis stated that the death of retired Pope Benedict XVI has been instrumentalized by those within the Catholic Church who are trying to score points against the current papacy.
In the latest salvo in the partisan divide of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis accused some of his critics on Sunday of capitalizing on the death of retired Pope Benedict XVI to score ideological points and officially shared a Tweet. Francis was asked about the increased criticism following the death of Benedict XVI on December 31 during an onboard news conference following his return from South Sudan.
Pope Francis has accused some of his critics of taking advantage of retired Pope Benedict XVI’s death to score ideological points in the latest salvo in the partisan divide of the Catholic Church. https://t.co/LVpcxXu5Rm
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 5, 2023
Benedict had been an emeritus pope living in the Vatican with Francis for the first 10 years of Francis’ pontificate. Benedict’s longtime secretary and some conservative cardinals came out with books, interviews and memos critical of Francis’ papacy in the days and weeks following his death.
Because of the commentary, the recently deceased former pope who is still revered by traditionalists and conservatives has been cast in opposition to the current pope. Francis insisted that rumors that he and Benedict were at odds were not true and that the two regularly conferred and agreed on everything.
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Francis Says Critics Are Trying To “Instrumentalize” Benedict Xvi’s Death
(As per the reports of Abcnews.go.com) Francis has stated, “I think Benedict’s death was instrumentalized.” The crowd’s goal was to win the game for their own team. I would almost go so far as to say, Those who would use such a good and holy person for political gain are unethical, party members rather than churchgoers.
Francis used an example from the emeritus pope’s handling of a complaint lodged against him regarding Francis’s advocacy of legal protections for same-s*x partnerships to demonstrate that Benedict was above such partisanship.
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, then the Archbishop of Buenos Aires advocated for a law that would grant inheritance and other rights to people in stable relationships including same-s*x unions. As an alternative to proposals in Argentina to legalize gay marriage which is opposed by the Catholic Church, he supported such legislation.
During an interview with the Mexican television network Televisa in 2019, Bergoglio made his position clear for the first time publicly. Francis revealed on Sunday that a self-proclaimed great theologian had complained to Benedict about Francis’s appointment, but that Benedict didn’t get scared.
He reportedly asked four prominent cardinal theologians to explain this to him. They gave him an explanation and that was the end of the story, according to Francis. This story illustrates how quickly Pope Benedict responded to a complaint and it serves as an example.
Francis said that the death of Benedict was planned and arranged. We promise to keep you informed as soon as any new information about Pope Benedict’s death becomes available. Stay tuned to our official Twitter page for updates on what’s been happening in the meantime.