Vatican confirms Benedict will not have role in selecting successor

Thursday, February 14th, 2013

Even though Pope Benedict XVI will spend his retirement near Rome and then inside Vatican City, he will not play any role in the upcoming election for a new pope, and he will not interfere with the responsibilities and decision-making activities of the new pontiff, said Vatican spokesman Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi.

Rather, the new pope will have the prayerful support and empathy of someone who understands “more than anyone in the world” the burden and responsibilities of being a pope, he said.

In response to questions about how a conclave and a new papacy will be played out while a former pope is still alive and living in the vicinity, Father Lombardi said, “there will be absolutely no problem” because Pope Benedict is a discreet and “extremely scrupulous” person. No one would ever expect from him any “interference or comments that would cause even minimal awkwardness or problems for his successor,” he said.

“Rather, his successor will feel supported by the prayers and intensely loving presence and interest from someone who, more than anyone in the world, can understand and be interested in the worries of his successor,” the priest said.

“Pope Benedict will surely say absolutely nothing about the process of the election,” the spokesman said, “and not intervene in any way in the process,” he said.

“You can be totally sure that the cardinals will be autonomous in their decision” in deciding on the next pope, he added.

Father Lombardi told journalists that the pope was free to decide where he wanted to live in his retirement. A monastery in the Vatican Gardens is currently being renovated for the pope’s future residence. It will “guarantee him a certain autonomy and freedom,” but at the same time, allow him to remain in the Vatican.

It was not clear who would be moving in with the pope to serve as his assistants, but Father Lombardi said the residence is small and number of staff would be, too.

Sources