Almost ten years after an unprecedented cohabitation in the Vatican, in which a pope lived closely with his predecessor, Francis’ pontificate entered a new phase with the death of Benedict XVI.
On the one hand, Argentines are even freer to carry forward their idea of a church that is more global and open to reforms. On the other hand, he saw the decline of a certain stability existing among his opponents, who had Joseph Ratzinger as a reference —and brake—. Between one situation and another, there is the risk that the search for protagonism among conservatives increases the fissures between the two camps.
The pope emeritus had not even been buried when, days after his death, one of Francis’s most skittish voices rose in volume. German Archbishop Georg Gänswein, 66, private secretary to Benedict XVI, took up, in an interview, the theme of the Mass in Latin to criticize Jorge Bergoglio.
In 2021, Francis restricted the rite in Latin – prior to the 2nd Vatican Council (1962) –, released by decision of his predecessor in 2007. The justification was that it was fueling divisions in the church. “It broke Pope Benedict XVI’s heart,” Gänswein said.
Last week, the archbishop released his biography in Italy, in which he reviews other episodes of tension with the Argentine, such as when he was unofficially removed from his duties as prefect of the Pontifical Household, a position to which he had been appointed by Ratzinger. Last Monday (9), Francis received Gänswein. Days later, according to the German press, he would have asked him to leave, by the end of the month, the monastery where he lived with the dead pope.
Despite his proximity to Ratzinger, Gänswein is not considered a personality with the potential to lead the conservative wing of the church, but his eloquence illustrates the movement of Benedict’s orphans.
“What is going on is a dispute to see who is the true Ratzingerian heir and spokesman. There is no undisputed leader”, explains Massimo Faggioli, professor in the department of theology and religious studies at Villanova University, in the USA. “Gänswein’s book contains criticisms that are not just of Francis, but also of conservative prelates who were close to Benedict XVI. The situation is confusing.”
In the US, where opposition to Francis has grown in recent years, the liturgical issue, such as the Mass in Latin, has contributed to reinforce the distance between the groups. “It’s a topic on which there was a clear difference of opinion and decision between the two popes, and that, in the US, has been getting worse over time and I don’t think it will diminish”, says Faggioli.
Among the high American clergy, there are some names known for criticizing Francis and who have a chance to fill the void left by Ratzinger. This is the case of Cardinal Raymond Burke, 74, with a traditionalist profile and who was part of the campaign to have President Joe Biden denied communion due to his position in relation to reproductive rights. On a personal level, the American leader has already expressed opposition to abortion, with the exception that, having been democratically elected, he cannot impose his opinions on the country he governs.
The newly appointed head of the US bishops’ conference, Timothy Broglio, 71, also belongs to the more conservative wing and could gain visibility in the coming months. Another protagonist of the anti-Bergoglio front is Cardinal Robert Sarah, 77, from Guinea. Three years ago, he wrote a book that defended the celibacy of priests, and at first had the name of Benedict 16 as co-author, opening a controversy with Francis – and between the two popes. The issue, however, would have damaged his relationship with the German, which leaves him weakened.
For Faggioli, both Burke and Sarah are second behind German Cardinal Gerhard Müller, 75, former prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, one of the bodies responsible for setting church guidelines. Despite having been named cardinal by Francis, he was very close to Benedict XVI. “He is the most prominent candidate and the strongest, from some points of view, with good international relationships in Italy, Germany and the USA”, he assesses. the teacher.
Critical of Francis’ reversal of the Latin Mass, Müller called the decision “reckless” by the pope for ignoring the faithful linked to the ancient liturgy. “I suggest to the pope that he be more attentive to all sensibilities within the church, including those farthest from his own,” he told the Italian newspaper La Stampa days after Ratzinger’s funeral.
In the view of Francesco Peloso, vaticanist for the Italian newspaper Domani, both Müller and Burke emerge as leaders of the conservatives, but with a great distance in relation to the pope emeritus. “There is no one in a position to place himself as the heir of Benedict XVI, because his theological and cultural stature was very high. He was a conservative, but he knew how to dialogue with everyone, despite having tough positions on some issues”, he says.
The part of the clergy that oppose Francis’ more progressive ideas can be divided into two groups. Conservatives assume more moderate tones and are more willing to discuss some issues with the pope, while the traditionalist current is rigid. “The fundamentalist wing was represented in a somewhat mistaken way by Bento 16. This group was orphaned”, says Peloso.
In any case, evaluates the vaticanist, the definition of who can assume the vacancy of spokesperson for both conservatives and traditionalists goes through the need to reposition themselves in a world and a church in continuous transformation. “They need to find a leadership that is not just a representative of outdated values, of a church that comes into conflict with modernity, but that is capable of dialoguing with modernity”, says Peloso.
If the ball is now in the conservative court, the wing most identified with Francis is challenging the synodal process that started in 2021 and will have two assemblies, in October of this year and in October 2024, when it will be finalized. Considered the largest consultation movement in the history of the church, the synod of synodality, as it is called, aims to reflect, from parishes to bishops, on reforms and the future of Catholicism.
For Peloso, the most important change so far from Francis’ pontificate has to do with opening up space for real discussion in the church, a really new fact. “He built a method for making decisions. It’s complicated, because the Catholic Church is complex, with many different cultures, nations and sensibilities, it’s not just ideological differences within the Vatican.”
Seen as the experimentation of a wide-ranging debate on topics such as greater openness to women’s participation and mandatory celibacy, the synodal process can be a test for the unity of the church by opposing antagonistic views, such as that of the USA, with a conservative majority , and that of Germany, more progressive.
It is due to the importance of the coming months that observers rule out the possibility of the pope’s imminent resignation, in the face of rumors that he would be waiting for the death of Benedict XVI to resign. At age 86, Francisco underwent surgery on his intestine in 2021, in addition to having problems with his knees that led him to use a wheelchair more often.
“I don’t think resignation is on the agenda unless there are health emergencies. What will happen by 2024, at the synod, will be Francis’ most important legacy. And I think he wants to guide that process as pope.” , evaluates Professor Faggioli.
Vatican expert Peloso agrees. “The pope is even more free to act, and that’s why I don’t think he’s going to resign now. He wants to experience at least a little bit of this path of being the only pope.”
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