Pope Francis to Publish Personal Chronicle about Relationship with Predecessor

It will be published in Spanish in April, right around what would have been Joseph Ratzinger's birthday. After the memoir of his former personal secretary, Don Georg Gaenswein, which was published a few days after the disappearance of the Bavarian theologian, Pope Francis has also decided to leave a personal and 'unmediated' chronicle of his relationship with his predecessor, recounting how their coexistence, which seemed difficult, if not unlikely, and which lasted from 2013 to December 31, 2022, developed behind the scenes. A bond that, over time, slowly strengthened, with the warmth of friendship and respect, eventually taking on the contours of a truly fraternal relationship. 'Benedict and I had a very deep relationship, I want it to be known, and I want it to be known without intermediaries. He was a man who had the courage to resign and, from that moment, continued to accompany the Church and his successor,' says Pope Francis.

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The title of the book 'El sucesor. Mis recuerdos de Benedicto XVI' is published by Planeta and is written in the form of an interview with ABC correspondent Javier Brocal. It is a first-person account that also addresses the controversies and difficulties that inevitably emerged during a long decade of reign. For example, the issue of Amoris Laetitia, the apostolic exhortation that expanded the possibilities for the divorced and remarried, or the issue of priestly celibacy, or even the great question of gender.

Vatican, Father Georg without salary prepares the boxes: the final eviction has arrived 'Sometimes I raised a topic, sometimes Benedict did. 'I'm worried about this problem,' one would say to the other. We talked about everything, very freely. When I presented a difficulty, he would respond: 'Well, one should also consider this and that element'. He always widened the perspective. He had the ability to broaden the perspective to help me make a good decision. He never said: 'I disagree'. I remember him saying: 'This is good. But we should also consider this other element...' He widened the perspective, always widened,' Bergoglio recounted.