Pope Francis Orders Pope Benedict’s Ex-Aide To Leave Vatican

Pope Francis orders Pope Benedict’s ex-aide to leave the Vatican. Pope Francis “had disposed” that the 66-year-old Gaenswein return to his diocese of Freiburg “for the time being,” according to the two-line statement.

The Vatican reported on Thursday that Pope Francis has instructed Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, the late Pope Benedict’s private secretary and long-time aide, to return to his native Germany by the end of the month with no new job.

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Vatican statement put an end to conjecture regarding Gaenswein’s status in the Church. He was a dominant figure in the Vatican for more than a decade before Francis demoted him due to a personal feud.

Former Pope Benedict died on December 31, nearly a decade after resigning as the first pontiff in 600 years in 2013.

Gaenswein is 66 years old, which is extremely remarkable for someone his age. Age and rank were not assigned, lending the pope’s judgment an air of expulsion.

Francis “had disposed” that the 66-year-old Gaenswein return to his diocese of Freiburg “for the time being,” according to the two-line statement.

Almost all previous papal secretaries were either sent to oversee dioceses, made cardinals, or given another high-profile position. Gaenswein is nine years younger than the typical retirement age for bishops, which is 75.

He has discussed his future with Francis several times in recent months, and there has been conjecture in Catholic media that he is seeking to obtain a diplomatic assignment as a nuncio, or ambassador, to a country.

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He was Benedict’s personal assistant.
From 2003, when Benedict was still Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, he served as his secretary and remained by his side for nearly 20 years, nearly ten of them after Benedict resigned.

In a book titled “Nothing But The Truth – My Life Beside Benedict XVI,” which was sent to reporters only hours after Benedict was buried on Jan. 5, Gaenswein shocked the Vatican by revealing strains while two men dressed in white lived within its gates.