The difficult coexistence between the emeritus Benedict XVI and his successor Francisco

Although, after his resignation in 2013, he promised not to overshadow his successor, Pope Francis, Pope Benedict XIV, who died this Saturday at the age of 95, never made himself forgotten, fueling the saga of "the two popes". friends and rivals at the same time.

Some of his decisions marked a different will and generated confusion among many Catholic followers: he continued to call himself "Roman Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI", the name that the German Joseph Ratzinger chose when he was elected pope in 2005; and he continued to wear the white cassock and reside in the Vatican.

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The presence of two popes unleashed an unprecedented problem in the recent history of the Church. The first pontiff to renounce the Throne of Peter in six centuries had vowed to live "hidden from the world" in a former convent, leading a life of contemplation and academic research. But he ended up intervening on sensitive issues such as sexual abuse by priests and speaking out against the possibility of ordaining married men as priests.

The old man's contribution to a book defending celibacy was interpreted as a new attempt to put pressure on Francis, orchestrated by opponents of the Argentine pope. Ultra-conservative sectors of the Church have turned Benedict XVI into an emblem of theological orthodoxy in the face of Francis, whom they have come to accuse of heresy for his openings in the social field.

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Historian Francesco Margiotta Broglio, head of Italy's Commission for Religious Freedom, considered that "Ratzinger should neither write nor speak." The advanced age of Benedict XVI, who has always been in delicate health and in recent years experienced difficulties speaking and writing, led observers to question whether he was the true author of the published reflections.

Benedict XVI confessed when he resigned that he did not have the strength, neither mental nor physical, to reign over the fate of more than 1.2 billion Catholics. His personal secretary, Georg Gaenswein, recounted in 2016 that the emeritus pontiff was "slowly fading away."

”The interventions of Benedict XVI in recent years have raised doubts, given his illness and age. Some people think that he could have been manipulated by those who wanted to discredit Francis, even if Benedict himself did not want it,” Gaillardetz said.

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It is not excluded that from now on the popes who retire will have to renounce their papal insignia and live in the Vatican. Francisco revealed in December 2022 that he signed a letter of resignation nearly a decade ago in case his ill health prevents him from continuing to perform his duties.

Some of his decisions marked a different will and generated confusion among many Catholic followers: he continued to call himself "Roman Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI", the name that the German Joseph Ratzinger chose when he was elected pope in 2005; and he continued to wear the white cassock and reside in the Vatican.