8 Wednesday, February 12, 2020 International Seven years after stepping down, Benedict fuels ‘2 popes’ headache Pope Benedict XVI - weakened by age but still intellectually spry VATICAN CITY: Seven years after his surprise resig- ers in April 2019, when in a long text he blamed pae- nation, Benedict XVI - weakened by age but still intel- dophilia within the church on the 1960s sexual revolu- lectually spry - appears unable to remain in the shadow tion and an absence of God in modern society. of his Argentinean successor Francis, creating the Francis has said the problems stem from within the appearance of “two popes” at odds. On February 11, church itself, and has criticized “clericalism,” or how a 2013, at the age of 85, the German intellectual Joseph sense of priestly superiority has caused the clergy to Ratzinger announced in Latin to astonished cardinals become remote from the faithful. Gaenswein, whose that he would cease being pope, a situation unheard of duties included organizing Francis’ audiences, has not for seven centuries. For five years, the unusual cohabi- been seen at the side of the current pope since the tation in the smallest state in the world between the publication of the book. The prelate appears to have 265th pope in retirement and the 266th, Francis, went been sidelined and invited to spend more time taking on without a hitch. care of the retired Pope. But as the “emeritus” Pope Benedict XVI, a learned theologian, continued in his retirement to write on the ‘His strength has weakened’ great themes of the Church, friction has arisen, most A Bavarian television documentary in January recently over the topic of married priests. Today, revealed a frail Benedict, in a wheelchair, speaking Francis will unveil his stance on priestly marriage after a with a faint voice. The former pope no longer cele- synod of Amazonian bishops recommended in October brates mass himself in his monastery within the that the priesthood be opened to married indigenous Vatican gardens, decorated with family photos and people. Some say this exception would solve the prob- Bavarian souvenirs. lem of a lack of priests in remote areas of the Amazon. The former pope - who has given himself the title The Vatican insists that Francis’s position was of “emeritus” pope - has now substituted monk’s san- already decided in December, before the publication in dals for his red mules of the past, but he continues to January of a book castigating the synod conclusions wear a white cassock within the Vatican walls. and defending the celibacy of priests, co-signed by Gaenswein, who lives with Benedict in the same VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis (left) greets chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop of Benedict XVI and the ultra-traditionalist Guinean monastery, is quoted in the documentary as saying: Munich and Freising, German Cardinal Reinhard Marx during a private audience at the Vatican. Cardinal Cardinal Robert Sarah. Some Vatican observers say “You can see when he walks that his strength has Marx announced yesterday that he renounces running for a second term as head of the German Francis was strongly irritated by the publication, which weakened.” Three years ago, Gaenswein explained the Bishops’ Conference. —AFP caused shockwaves when excerpts were first published “two pope” phenomenon: “There are not two popes, by Le Figaro newspaper. but a de facto expanded ministry, with one active and Through his private secretary, the German archbish- one contemplative member”. and only pope. “Let’s stop talking about two sovereign grandfather at home”. Still, popular culture has run with op Georg Gaenswein, Benedict tried to backtrack on Such statements have fuelled a traditionalist fringe pontiffs, because there is only one pope, the one who the idea. “The Two Popes,” a film by Brazilian director the publication, explaining that he had never approved within the Vatican which considers Francis illegitimate is invested with papal authority, that is, Francis,” Fernando Meirelles, imagines an oratorical joust a co-authored book project. But the damage had been and interprets all writings of Benedict as criticism of Parolin said. between an authoritarian German pope played by done, with the former pope weighing in on the impor- his successor. But last week, the second most powerful Francis too tried to stamp out any ambiguity in 2016, Anthony Hopkins and a future Argentine pope, played tance of priestly celibacy ahead of his successor’s pro- person in the Vatican, Cardinal Pietro Parolin sought saying Benedict was “a pope emeritus and not the sec- by Jonathan Pryce, who likes to watch soccer and who nouncement on the subject. Benedict also ruffled feath- to put the affair to rest, saying Francis was the one ond pope,” comparing his 10-year-old elder to “a wants to teach the pope to tango. —AFP Africa to condemn the vote as “unforgiv- The rise and able” - breaking an unwritten rule not to comment on domestic rows from abroad. Even before the Thuringia debacle, critics US, German spies fall of Merkel’s had long argued that AKK, who is also defence minister, had not lived up to plundered global ‘mini-me’ expectations. “She acted and manoeu- vred in such clumsy ways that she must FRANKFURT AM MAIN: In the end, the have realised herself: this can’t go on,” the secrets via Swiss “mini Merkel” nickname was perhaps too centre-left Tagesspiegel wrote. big to live up to. Barely a year after encryption firm replacing her mentor as head of Rival Merz Germany’s CDU party, Annegret Kramp- A popular premier in her tiny home WASHINGTON: US and German intelligence serv- Karrenbauer has thrown in the towel - state of Saarland, the Catholic mum-of- ices raked in the top secret communications of gov- unexpectedly upending Chancellor three was catapulted into the big leagues ernments around the world for decades through Angela Merkel’s succession plans. in early 2018 when Merkel tapped her to their hidden control of a top encryption company Kramp-Karrenbauer, best known by her become the CDU’s number two as general Crypto AG, US, German and Swiss media reported initials “AKK”, said she was standing secretary. The move was read as a sign yesterday. The Swiss company was a top supplier down as CDU leader and would not seek that the veteran chancellor was preparing BERLIN: Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (right), leader of the conservative of devices for encoding communications to some to become the centre-right party’s new her exit and AKK, dubbed “mini Merkel” Christian Democratic Union party, shares a laugh with parliamentary manager 120 countries from after World War II to the begin- chancellor in a general election slated for by German media, was the chosen heir to Michael Grosse-Broemer (center) and CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader ning of this century, including Iran, South American next year. She said her stint as party continue her centrist policies. Ralph Brinkhaus as she arrives for a meeting with the CDU/CSU parliamentary governments, and India and Pakistan, the leader had been “a difficult time” as main- When Merkel later announced she was group at the Bundestag (lower house of parliament) in Berlin. —AFP Washington Post, German television ZTE and Swiss stream parties grapple to respond to the stepping down as party chief after 18 state media SRF reported. rise of the far right. years and would not seek reelection when Unknown to those governments, Crypto was It’s a swift fall from grace for AKK, her fourth term ends in 2021, it was her asylum seekers and floated the idea of tions, particularly in eastern Germany’s secretly owned by the US Central Intelligence whose spell in the spotlight was marred by protegee who took the reins of the CDU reintroducing compulsory military serv- former communist states where the CDU Agency together with Germany’s BND Federal high-profile blunders and weak showings in December 2018. But AKK, 57, only ice. She also spoke out against gay mar- bled support to the anti-immigrant AfD. Intelligence Service, who rigged Crypto’s equip- by the CDU in regional polls. A political narrowly fended off a strong challenge riage. But Merkel’s decision to abandon Several blunders further eroded confi- ment to be able to easily break the codes and read fiasco in the small state of Thuringia last from the ambitious Friedrich Merz, an old the party leadership while staying on as dence in her ability to turn the tide. A the government’s messages. The Washington Post week cast further doubt on her leadership Merkel rival backed by the CDU’s more chancellor made it difficult for AKK to transgender bathroom joke backfired said a classified internal CIA history of the top- skills and proved the final blow. Not only conservative and pro-business wings. impose her authority. In an implicit badly, while an ill-judged retort to a secret program identifies the CIA officers who did AKK fail to persuade rebellious CDU Once in the job, AKK sought to carve out rebuke, AKK on Monday said the separa- YouTube star’s criticism of the govern- oversaw the operation and the Crypto executives lawmakers there against siding with the her own profile in a party thirsty for tion of the roles was “weakening the ment’s climate policies left her looking out who enabled it. far-right AfD in a key vote, she couldn’t change after years of Merkel’s moderate CDU” and the same person should hold of touch. Born into a large, Catholic fami- And it noted that the company took in millions of get them to back snap polls afterwards in course in a loveless coalition with the both positions in future.