Archbishop Georg Gänswein, the
personal secretary of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, says he tried to
persuade Benedict to stay on and continue his work as Pope, reports The Tablet.
'Pope Benedict had reached a decision. He was not to be shaken,' he said.
The VatiLeaks affair in which private documents were leaked to the press had nothing to do with Benedict's decision, Archbishop Gänswein insisted. He had come to the conclusion that he lacked the necessary strength to go on leading the Church in such turbulent times and that 'a new, strong helmsman was required to take control of the situation.'
Asked how close the relationship between Pope Francis and his predecessor was, Archbishop Gänswein differences lay in certain matters of style and taste but not in matters of faith.
The biggest difference between them was the way they approached people, Archbishop Gänswein said.