Barely a week after the funeral of Benedict XVI, his closest collaborator, Bishop Georg Gänswein, publishes his long-awaited memoirs on Thursday in which he scratches Pope Francis by recounting the tensions that have marred the unprecedented cohabitation between his mentor and his successor.
The book, titled Nothing But the Truth — My Life with Benedict XVIretraces Joseph Ratzinger’s ascension to the throne of Saint Peter, his pontificate (2005-2013) marked by scandals, and finally his retirement in a Vatican monastery after his resignation having surprised the whole world.
The Vatican has not officially reacted to the grievances expressed against the Argentine pope by Bishop Georg Gänswein in his book, but after several days of publication of the good sheets in the press, the 66-year-old German prelate was summoned on Monday for a interview behind closed doors with François, of which nothing has filtered.
Archbishop Gänswein, whose bearing made the headlines of the Italian press at the time of his splendor, affirms among other things that the Argentine pope had “broken the heart” of his predecessor by limiting the use of Latin that he himself, a conservative, had developed.
Until his death on December 31 at the age of 95, Benedict XVI was used as a standard bearer by the conservative wing of the Church, which considers Francis too progressive.
“Shocked and flabbergasted”
In his position as private secretary to Joseph Ratzinger since 2003, even before his election to the papacy, until his death, Bishop Gänswein was a privileged witness behind the scenes of his pontificate.
After his death, it was he who welcomed visitors to the display of the body of the pope emeritus in the solemn setting of St. Peter’s Basilica, and who then kissed the coffin of his mentor in front of tens of thousands of faithful at his funeral in Saint-Pierre square presided over by François.
The prelate does not hesitate to scratch the current head of the Catholic Church, his direct superior, by reporting the perplexity that certain decisions of his successor have aroused in the pope emeritus.
After his resignation in 2013, the first of a pontiff since the Middle Ages, Benedict XVI had promised to live “withdrawn from the world”, but broke this promise several times on explosive subjects, such as celibacy for priests in 2020. During this episode, Bishop Gänswein claims to have acted as a scapegoat: he was in fact deprived by Francis of any executive role within the Vatican, keeping only his title of “prefect of the Pontifical Household” emptied of its substance.
“Stay home from today. Accompany Benedict, who needs you, and act as a shield,” the pope would have said to him on this occasion. Bishop Gänswein claims to have been “shocked and flabbergasted” by his sidelining.
When he reported these words to Benedict XVI, the latter made this half-fig half-grape comment: “Apparently Pope Francis no longer trusts me and makes you my guardian”.
“Handsome George”
Benoît then intervened with Francis to make him reconsider his decision but in vain, writes the prelate, originally from Bavaria as his protector. “A little transgressive” in his youth, he had long hair and listened to Pink Floyd.
Ordained a priest in 1984, he became Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger’s secretary and followed him to the Apostolic Palace after his election, becoming a media darling with his Hollywood actor looks.
Nicknamed “bel Giorgio” (“the handsome George”) by the Italian press, he also appeared in tennis outfits in magazines people.
His close relationship with Benedict XVI aroused many jealousies, he wrote in his memoirs. With Pope Francis, on the other hand, relations remained cold, and the release of this controversial book should not help to improve them.
According to Vatican observers, the Argentine pontiff could appoint Bishop Gänswein to a post of ambassador, thus far from the Vatican and its intrigues.