Rafaela Prifti/
Pope Francis delivered his annual address to Vatican diplomats accredited to the sovereign nation of Vatican City. The remarks are likened to a foreign policy speech outlining the areas of greatest concern for the Holy See. In the start-of-the-2023 speech, Head of the Catholic Church denounced Russia’s war in Ukraine, Iran’s treatment of protesters, expressed alarm over a “weakening of democracy” in the Americas and called for a total ban on nuclear weapons. “There is a constant need to overcome partisan ways of thinking and to work for the promotion of the common good,” he said to the ambassadors and representatives of the 183 states that have full diplomatic relations with the Holy See. Linking a host of issues from immigration to the pandemic to climate change, Pope underscored a common feature that has been clearly demonstrated in all of them, “we cannot be saved alone and by ourselves: the great challenges of our time are all global.”
A few days before the delivery of the annual “state of the world” at the Apostolic Palace Hall of Blessings, there were reports of a meeting – of a diplomatic nature – between the Holy Father and Archbishop Georg Gänswein, the longtime personal secretary of the late Pope Benedict XVI. The private audience was confirmed by the Vatican’s daily press briefing and came shortly after Benedict XVI was laid to rest in the crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica on January 5, 2023. Pope Francis presided at the requiem Mass and funeral ceremony of his predecessor. For the first time since the election of his pontificate almost 10 years ago, there will be no emeritus pope in the church.It is worth noting that Gänswein’s forthcoming book detailing his nearly 20 years of service to Benedict XVI is getting published today on January 12. According to Reuters, “Nothing But The Truth — My Life Beside Benedict XVI” includes details about the German pope’s alleged disagreements with his Argentinian successor including Pope Francis’ restriction of the traditional Latin Mass and his statements regarding clerical celibacy.
The 330 page book by Archbishop Gänswein is written with Italian journalist Saverio Gaeta. One of the episodes reportedly discussed in it is the German prelate’s effective dismissal from the role of prefect of the Papal household, which occurred in 2020. Originally appointed to the position by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012, Gänswein continued to serve as prefect during Pope Francis’ pontificate. Yet he was effectively discharged from his role and duties at the Pontifical household following a controversy in January 2020 surrounding a book on priestly celibacy, co-authored by Pope Benedict, as reported by the Catholic News Agency. The views of the retired pope and the Holy Father on the issue of celibacy and priesthood did not align. Therefore the book could have been perceived as a dig at the Head of the Church. Archbishop Georg Gänswein cited “a misunderstanding” and the German pope’s name was removed from the text. Gänswein’s cessation of Prefecture tasks followed “the authorship incident” described in the soon-to-be-released memoirs while the Holy See Office has explained the termination as a reflection of the “redistribution of the various commitments and duties” of papal household staff. The book by the late Pope Benedict’s closest aide detailing the strains between the two popes might be unsettling for the Vatican. The reports raise the question of the position that Pope will assign to Gänswein’s at this time and whether it will be in the Vatican or somewhere else in the world.
Gänswein’s written account will be commented and reviewed widely and might even prove to be consequential. On the day of its publication, my thoughts go to Pope Francis. His first visit to a European country was in Albania in 2014. I am reminded that the connections of Albanians and the Roman Catholic Church go back centuries, even though the modern independent state of Vatican City was born in 1929. Last year marked the 30th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Albania and the Holy See. In November 2018, the Holy Father received a group of Albanian pilgrims in Rome honoring the 550th anniversary of the death of national hero George Castriot Skanderbeg. In his remarks, Pope called Albania a land of ancient and glorious history and also expressed his wish to have encouraging conditions moving forward for the younger generations. “I sincerely hope that this anniversary will not be limited to the celebration of the glory of past deeds, but will also be a good opportunity for a renewed commitment of all, institutions and citizens, in favor of an authentic and balanced development, so that the younger generations will not be forced to migrate,” said the Pope.
In March Francis pontificate enters its 11th year. At the age of 86, he is already the third oldest pope to lead the church in the last 800 years.