[T]he original dossier was compiled in the wake of what was tagged "VatiLeaks," a reference to the theft and release to Italian journalists of various private documents of Pope Benedict.The explanation derived from this circumstance is basically that the revelations in the dossier convinced Benedict that he didn't have the energy to pursue the implications and decided to leave this task to a successor. That would certainly be taking an easy way out -- popes have been called to martyrdom, after all. I'm open to a better explanation.The Holy Father ordered an investigation into the thefts but various media reports said what began as an investigation into one area quickly diverted into an entirely unforeseen area: homosexuality within the hierarchy here at the Vatican.
Three cardinal-investigators eventually compiled their findings into a dossier and presented it to Pope Benedict just a couple of months before his surprise retirement in February of 2013.
A visitor had a suggestion:
[A]fter reading today’s post I am becoming more and more convinced that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI resigned because of his role in the unfolding homosexual scandal in the Church hierarchy. I suspect Pope Benedict expected former Cardinal McCarrick to recognize the gravity of his sins and the peril of his immortal soul when he asked him to retire from his ministry and live out the remainder of his life fasting, praying and repenting. It is a testament to the evil in McCarrick’s heart and the obvious lack of faith in the doctrines of the Church that he did not avail himself of that voluntarily and that he did not explain that to the Holy Father when Pope Francis requested him to “come back out.”One thing that's kept troubling me is the number of corrupt bishops and cardinals who were promoted, not just by John Paul II, but by Benedict as well. Cardinal Levada rose under JPII among a corrupt Mahony clique -- all promoted by John Paul -- but Benedict made him a cardinal. The impression I have is that Levada sometimes said the right things, but his personal example was poor. The drunk driving arrest suggests a serious problem with alcohol that must have been of long standing and was probably of a piece with other private conduct -- and Steven Lopes, his secretary for some years, would have been a facilitator.Pope Emeritus Benedict, I have come to believe, is a good and decent man who has seen what he allowed and/or facilitated by promoting very flawed men. As he expected McCarrick to do, I think he prescribed the same punishment for himself and he has withdrawn to a life of prayer, fasting and repentance. Perhaps Pope Benedict thought that by his example, the other Cardinals and Bishops who have wrought this blight upon our Church would also VOLUNTARILY do the right thing and resign their offices as well, allowing the Church to heal with as little scandal as possible.
The fact that almost NONE of these men have done this speaks volumes to the “Smoke of Satan” that has permeated our Church and the intrinsic evil that entails. I might be way off on this, but, the more I see, the more I think I might be right, and if so, my admiration for the integrity of Pope Emeritus Benedict grows and I think history will judge him better than our current Catholic brethren do. I also think, Pope Francis is beginning to understand this as well and seems to be turning the corner. We’ll see….
And Benedict must have been aware of this. Why, also, did he demote Abp. Viganò just as Viganò seemed to be getting a handle on Vatican financial corruption?
That Benedict may have felt remorse for some level of complicity in the scandals strikes me as credible, but as the visitor said, we'll see.
