Benedict XVI moved back to the Vatican yesterday, opening an uncertain era in Catholic Church history where an Emeritus Pope and a ruling pontiff will live as neighbours for the first time.
Benedict, the first Pope to abdicate in 600 years, will live out his retirement in a restored convent in the Vatican gardens with a view of the dome of St Peter’s Basilica and just a short walk from the residence of his successor, Francis.
Benedict, 86, arrived by helicopter from Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence south of Rome, where he had been staying since February 28 while the convent was being restored.
Francis, 76, greeted Benedict in front of the convent, the first time they have met since March 23, when Francis visited Benedict at Castel Gandolfo and Benedict renewed a pledge of “unconditional reverence and obedience” to Francis.
A Vatican statement said the two later prayed together in the chapel of the small building, which also includes a library for the former theology professor, quarters for his aides and a guest room for his older brother, Georg, a monsignor.
“He is happy to be back at the Vatican... where he intends to dedicate himself to the service of the Church, above all with prayer,” it said.
Unlike on the day of his abdication and his March 23 meeting with Francis at Castel Gandolfo, Vatican television decided not to distribute images of Benedict’s return. It gave no reason.
When the two met in March, Benedict looked exceptionally frail. But the Vatican says he suffers only from normal ailments of old age and has no serious illness.
While the presence of a reigning Pope and a former one is a new situation, experts say it would only cause difficulties if Benedict tried to influence Pope Francis’s decisions, something he has promised not to do.
Shortly before his resignation, Benedict said he would live out his remaining days “hidden from the world”.
Still, some Church scholars say in the event that Francis undoes some of Benedict’s policies while still alive, the former Pope could become a lightning rod for conservatives and polarise the Church.
“Benedict almost certainly will be a point of reference for critics of Francis, especially in conservative circles. You can easily imagine them saying, ‘Benedict wouldn’t have done it this way’,” said John Allen, author of several books on the Church.