Catholic Church

After falling out with him, Pope Francis gives new job to Benedict XVI’s ex-aide

Reuters

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

After falling out with him, Pope Francis gives new job to Benedict XVI’s ex-aide

BETTER DAYS. Pope Francis leads his Wednesday general audience alongside Archbishop Georg Gaenswein in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, March 29, 2017.

Tony Gentile/Reuters

Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, 67, is appointed 'nuncio,' or Vatican ambassador, to Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis has given a new job to the former secretary of the late Pope Benedict XVI, in an apparent sign of reconciliation with the archbishop after publicly falling out with him.

Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, 67, was appointed “nuncio,” or Vatican ambassador, to Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia, a statement from the Vatican press office said on Monday, June 24.

In June 2023, Francis had ordered Gaenswein to leave the Vatican and return to his native Germany without any new assignment, in what was widely seen as a snub.

In a book published this year, Francis confirmed he had a difficult relationship with Gaenswein while the German served as Benedict’s aide.

He mentioned in particular the memoir that the archbishop released just after Benedict’s burial in January 2023, which contained strong criticism of Francis.

“To publish a book that lays into me on the day of the funeral, telling things that are not true, is very sad,” Francis said.

Francis and Benedict both lived at the Vatican during the so-called “two popes” period, initiated in 2013 when Benedict resigned, the first pontiff to do so in about 600 years. – Rappler.com

Add a comment

Sort by

There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.

Summarize this article with AI

How does this make you feel?

Loading
Download the Rappler App!