Benedict XVI receives the new cardinals
and speaks with them in various languages
2017-06-28
After formally creating them cardinals, Pope Francis accompanied the five new 'Princes of the Church' in a visit to a very special Vatican tenant, Pope Benedict XVI, who took off his zucchetto when he saw his successor.
The cardinal of Laos was first to present himself, and spoke to the pope emeritus in French.
Benedict XVI met the five new cardinals and spoke with all of them in their native tongue, demonstrating once again his capacity for languages.
For example, he spoke Spanish with the cardinals from Spain and El Salvador. Monsignor Juan Jose Omella told him about the Holy Family, a temple that Benedict XVI consecrated during his visit to Barcelona.
"Next Sunday we will start Mass every Sunday in the basilica."
He also spoke French with the cardinal of Mali. Then, the pope emeritus addressed the new cardinals with a few words and left them this message.
"The Lord wins in the end. Thank you all.”
Before leaving, Benedict XVI, along with Pope Francis, imparted a blessing to the five new cardinals.
This is the second time that the reigning pope accompanies his new cardinals to meet the Emeritus Pope, and while we can all consider it as a thoughtful gesture because Benedict XVI has been unable to attend these last two consistories, you will forgive me some cynicism in thinking that by bringing his new cardinals to the emeritus, the current pope thereby seeks to imply acceptance and approval by his predecessor of his choices, or at the very least, to associate them with him.
Not that it is for the Emeritus to do that at all, but he is being so skillfully and calculatedly co-opted by Bergoglio in many significant ways that make me increasingly think of B16 as a prisoner of the Bergoglio Vatican.
If it had been a 'normal' occasion at all, I would have expected B16 to remark to the new cardinals that the last time a pope named only five cardinals at a consistory was when Paul VI named him, Joseph Ratzinger, along with four others, in June 1977, 40 years ago, in what was to be Paul VI's last consistory.