Late former pope Benedict XVI was not a shadow pope trying to pull the ecclesiastical and theological strings behind the back of his successor Pope Francis for the 10 years from his abdication to his death, his biographer told ANSA Monday, denying such a characterization.
On the contrary, said Peter Seewald, Benedict adhered to an oath of obedience he swore the new pope upon his accession a month after his own sensational resignation in February 2013.
“Anyone who observed the last 10 years, in which Benedict XVI was pope emeritus, knows that Benedict steered clear of everything that even distantly could create interference in his successor’s field,” Seewald told ANSA.
Asked if Benedict sill exerted power and influence, the biographer said: “No. As soon as he resigned he said he would swear obedience to the Pope, whoever it might be. And he kept his word. All talk about a shadow pope and about his influence is a complete absurdity”.
Most obituaries of the later former pope said he remained a reference point for conservative Catholics after the accession of the more progressive Francis.
