KEEPS: "His Holiness", Archbishop Georg GÃ ¤nswein, papal household, "Benedict XVI", use of Castel Gandolfo, Vatican apartments,
strings to the papacy
LOSES: ruby slippers, diamond-encrusted gold toilet flush, fisherman's
ring, Swiss Guard, Twitter account
GAINS: "Pope Emeritus", relief at foisting off a lot of
headaches to the next poor mensch
The life of a scandal-laden Pope Emeritus will not be easy for Benedict XVI,
but he will manage, especially in the companionship department:
Vatican City,
14 February 2013 (VIS) - Archbishop Georg GÃ ¤nswein, Prefect of the Prefecture
of the Papal Household and secretary to Benedict XVI, will continue to carry
out both roles and will thus accompany the Pope during his stay at Castel
Gandolfo and at the monastery that he will retire to after his resignation from
the papacy. The papal household, or "memores", which has served the
Holy Father during these past eight years will also move to the same monastery.
How Archbishop
Ganswein will fare remains to be seen, for unless the monastery chosen by
Benedict is in Vatican City, the devoted, hunky secretary may have to shuttle
between jobs. Devotion has its price.
Pope E-Mary-tus
The relationship between the Pope and his secretary has long been a matter of
speculation, especially in light of the latest Vatileaks revelation: a secret
network of gay priests:
The
priests, it seems, are allegedly being blackmailed by a network of male
prostitutes who worked at a sauna in Rome's Quarto Miglio district, a health
spa in the city center, and a private residence once entrusted to a prominent
archbishop. The evidence reportedly includes compromising photos and videos of
the prelates--sometimes caught on film in drag, and, in some cases, caught "in
the act."
If His Holiness has had a long-term affair with his secretary, it is evident
that only the next pope will know, for the contents of the 300-page dossier
that supposedly led to Benedict's resignation holds many, many secrets. As one
prelate put it, the dossier will be like "the 118th cardinal in the
conclave." And the next pope may be sharing Benedict's "longtime
companion." That will make for a cozy, tight-lipped arrangement.
Perks and Pedophiles
Surrounded by his faithful secretary and his staff, Benedict may still live in
absolute luxury, pomp and circumstance: the papal "household" can be
quite immense, involving scores of clergy and dignitaries:
The Papal Household or Pontifical
Household (Latin:
Domus Pontificalis), called until 1968 the Papal Court (Pontificalis Aula),[1] consists of dignitaries who assist the Pope in carrying out particular ceremonies
of either a religious or a civil character.
It is organised into two bodies: the Papal Chapel (Cappella Pontificia), which
assists the pope in his functions as spiritual head of the church, especially
in religious ceremonies; and the Papal Family or Household (Familia
Pontificia), which assists him as head of a juridical body with civil
functions.
True, it may be scaled down a bit due to the advanced age of the pope and
lessening of activities, but the fact remains that Benedict will be attended to
by a "court" costing the Vatican million$ each year, a sum which can
be used to pay off some of the many lawsuits going against the Church and its
priests.
Quitting in comfort amid controversy is nothing new to prelates (many bishops
and cardinals resign), but Benedict's resignation leaves so many questions
that, as Betty Bowers put it,l he may truly be the Sarah Palin of Popes.
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