Pope Francis paid a heartfelt tribute to his predecessor Benedict
XVI, saying his faith and teaching had “enriched and invigorated” the
Catholic Church and would remain its spiritual patrimony forever.
Francis, 76, tripped and stumbled when he greeted the dean of the
College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, at the start of the
audience, but he recovered immediately.
Speaking at times off the cuff, Francis said Benedict had “lit a flame
in the depths of our hearts that will continue to burn because it is
fueled by his prayers that will support the church on its missionary
path”.
“In these years of his pontificate, he enriched and invigorated the
church with his magisterium, his goodness, guide, and faith,” Francis
said. Pausing for effect, he added: “His humility and his gentleness.”
Francis has said he wants to visit Benedict at the papal residence in
Castel Gandolfo where he has been living since Feb 28, when he became
the first pope in 600 years to resign. No date has been set for the
visit. Francis is due to be installed as pope on Tuesday.
The relationship between the two pontiffs has been the subject of
intense speculation given the novelty of soon having a retired and
reigning pope living side by side.
Some analysts have expressed concern about the influence Benedict and
his loyalists might wield over the new pontificate, or worse how certain
factions in the Church might try to undermine Francis’s authority by
continuing to use Benedict as their reference point.
The presence of Arch-bishop Georg Gaenswein, Benedict’s closest aide,
at all of Francis’s inaugural events has confirmed some crossover;
Gaenswein is also the head of the papal household, meaning he has an
important role to play in the transition and Francis’s day-to-day
schedule.
Yesterday, he accompanied Francis to the papal apartment in the
Apostolic Palace, which has been sealed since Feb 28. Francis opened
the door, and Gaenswein hurried in to turn on the lights.
Meanwhile, Francis urged leaders of a Roman Catholic Church riven by
scandal and crisis never to give in to discouragement, bitterness or
pessimism but to keep focused on their mission.
Since his election on Wednesday, Francis has signalled a sharp change of
style from his predecessor and has laid out a clear moral path for the
1.2bnmember Church, which is beset by scandals, intrigue, and strife.
“Let us never give in to the pessimism, to that bitterness, that the
devil places before us every day. Let us not give into pessimism and
discouragement,” he told the cardinals who chose him.
The Vatican has strongly denied accusations by some critics in Argentina
that Francis stayed silent during systematic human rights abuses by the
former military dictatorship there.
Spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi told reporters the accusations “must be clearly and firmly denied”.
Critics of the former Archbishop of Buenos Aires, allege he failed to
protect priests who challenged the dictatorship during the 1976-1983
“dirty war”, and that he has said too little about the complicity of the
Church during military rule.
Setting out a clear and forceful moral tone, Francis told the cardinals
they must stick to the faith’s Gospel roots and shun modern temptations.