VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Former Pope Benedict has deceived Roman Catholic conservatives who have not accepted his decision to resign as “fanatics” by telling them there is only one pope and that is Francis.
Benedict, 93 years ago, became the first pope in more than 600 years to resign in 2013 instead of leading for life, saying he no longer has the power to govern the 1.3 billion-member church.
Some harsh conservatives, dissatisfied with the more liberal Pope Francis, have often expressed doubts about whether Benedict has given up voluntarily, even though he has said several times in the past eight years that he did.
“It was a difficult decision. But it was a fully conscious choice and I think I did well (to resign), “he told Corriere della Sera in Italy in an interview published on Monday.
“Some of my more fanatical friends are still upset, they didn’t accept my choice.”
Benedict, who lives in a house in the Vatican Gardens, said those who refused to accept his resignation cared about “conspiracy theories” that he had been forced to give up because of scandals, such as the leak of documents by his butler. or.
“They don’t want to think it was a conscious choice,” he said. “My conscience is clear.”
Apparently, addressing those who still regard him as the true pope and are hostile to Francis, Benedict said, “There is only one pope.”
The interviewer said that Benedict underlined this point, hitting the armrest of his chair.
The presence in the Vatican of both a pope and a former pontiff with the title of “pope emeritus”, also dressed in white, irritated some Catholics.
The leading figures of the Church have called for new rules to provide that popes who resign resume the lower office of cardinal, do not dress in white and do not make statements about doctrine.
Reporting by Philip Pullella; Edited by Kevin Liffey