Benedict, who stunned the world by resigning as Pope in 2013, admits in the book, titled Last Testament that he struggled to govern the Church saying this area was not a “strong point” and that he had “little resolve” when faced with hard problems.
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Excerpts were published Thursday in the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera and the German weekly Die Zeit and daily Bild and recounted in National Catholic Reporter and the Associated Press. But he said he immediately realized the significance of electing a Latin American pope, and said he is very happy with Francis’ papacy.
In 2013, Benedict was the first pope to retire in nearly 600 years, citing the strains of old age.
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Even so, “I do, of course, ask myself how long he will keep it up. because that requires a lot of energy”. But Benedict said the elevation of Francis, whom he described as experienced at “practical reform” unlike himself, showed the Church was moving forward.
Benedict, who lives in the grounds of the Vatican, revealed that the election of Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis had come as a huge surprise to him.
One governance success was the dissolution of the “gay lobby” in the Vatican, Benedict said.
He says a secret inquiry on VatiLeaks allegations confirmed the existence of a Vatican gay lobby made up of “four, maybe five people”.
“We dissolved it”, Pope Benedict said.
“Last Testament” contains 630 questions and answers covering a range of topics and was produced following a series of interviews with Benedict – including during his time as Pope. “In any case, it’s not like there are things like this all over the place”. He has been living a quiet life of prayer and keeping up his correspondence in a converted monastery in the Vatican gardens. It’s not a matter of getting his earthly affairs in order, he said, “but of preparing to pass the ultimate examination before God”.
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Michael J. O’Loughlin, a national reporter for the Jesuit-run America Magazine, said that he could understand Benedict’s interest in taking a last opportunity to define his legacy and shape the issues he cares about.
