As of: April 3, 2024, 4:09 a.m
By: Mark Stoffers
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Statements from Pope Francis make people sit up and take notice. According to this, he would have uncovered a conspiracy in the Vatican with the help of his predecessor, Benedict XVI.
Rome/Barcelona – The Vatican and Christians from all over the world are eagerly awaiting the publication on Wednesday of the Spanish interview book “El sucesor” (The Successor) with Pope Francis. In it the pontiff tells in detail about the years he spent with Pope Benedict XVI. and his documents that his predecessor had handed over to him on March 23, 2013 in Castel Gandolfo.
Pope Francis speaks of conspiracy in the Vatican: predecessor Benedict warned today's pontiff
Of particular interest will probably be the passages in which Pope Francis reports on a conspiracy in the Vatican. The material was compiled by Cardinals Julian Herranz, Jozef Tomko and Salvatore de Giorgi on behalf of Benedict.
Excerpts from the book apparently show that, according to Pope Francis, a conspiracy was uncovered at the time. Those involved are said to have consisted predominantly of clergy from “the second tier”. The conspiracy was apparently directed, among other things, against the later Cardinal Pietro Parolin, whose rise to power in place of Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone was to be prevented.
Conspiracy against possible successor to Pope Francis: “Right hand” at the center
Parolin has held this position since October 2013. The northern Italian is not only the current Secretary of State of the Holy See and de facto “right-hand man” of Pope Francis, but is also considered one of the most promising candidates to succeed him due to the Ponitfex's poor health.
Parolin is a moderate diplomat who is respected by everyone because of his discretion and his desire to avoid too much spotlight. Although he is Francis' de facto "right-hand man", he also maintains good relations with more conservative circles.
Pope Benedict and Pope Francis © IMAGO (2) / ABACAPRESS / ZUMA Wire
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Pope Benedict XVI reveals conspiracy in the Vatican: According to Pope Francis, the mastermind in the Curia
According to Pope Francis, some Curia officials played key roles in the conspiracy in the Vatican. Accordingly, his predecessor Benedict XVI. transferred some of them during his term of office (2005-2013) and recommended that his successor make further reshuffles due to the plot. He then did this after some time. However, Francis does not mention the names or functions of the conspirators.
In the book, Francis also reports that he had already gathered a third of all cardinals eligible to vote at the 2005 conclave. However, he did not have a realistic chance of becoming pope: he was only used because some wanted to prevent Joseph Ratzinger from being elected pope, according to Francis.
Pope Francis shoots violently against Benedict's confidant Georg Gänswein: lack of humanity
In addition to the mention of the conspiracy, other passages from the book published in Barcelona caused a stir, especially in Germany. Even though Pope Francis, whose health was also a concern at Easter, and his predecessor Benedict maintained a good relationship during his lifetime. But since the death of the German pontiff, there has been a huge rift between Benedict's former private secretary Georg Gänswein and Francis. The Argentinean now fired a new volley towards the banished German.
Pope Francis accused Benedict's confidant Gänswein of a "lack of humanity". In it, the 87-year-old accuses Benedict's former private secretary, who visited Pope Francis in the Vatican for the first time some time ago, of having "used" the German Pope when he published a book immediately after Benedict's death on New Year's Eve 2022. These will probably not be the only passages in the book with interviews that will lead to heated discussions not only in the Catholic Church.