7 years after stepping down, Benedict fuels '2 popes' headachePope Francis (left) and his predecessor, Benedict XVI. VATICAN CITY: Seven years after his surprise resignation, Benedict XVI -- weakened by age but still intellectually spry -- appears unable to remain in the shadow of his Argentinean successor Francis, creating the appearance of "two popes" at odds. But as the "emeritus" Pope Benedict XVI, a learned theologian, continued in his retirement to write on the great themes of the Church, friction has arisen, most recently over the topic of married priests. - 'His strength has weakened' -A Bavarian television documentary in January revealed a frail Benedict, in a wheelchair, speaking with a faint voice. Francis too tried to stamp out any ambiguity in 2016, saying Benedict was "a pope emeritus and not the second pope," comparing his 10-year-old elder to "a grandfather at home".

Source: Bangkok Post February 11, 2020 03:56 UTC