Peter Seewald, the journalist who collaborated with Pope Benedict XVI on
several book-length interviews, complained about an “infamous” effort
by Pope Francis to discredit his predecessor, in an interview with the
German Kath.net site.
Seewald said that in the Pope’s letter appointing Archbishop Victor
Manuel Fernandez as prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the
Faith, the reference to “immoral methods” used by that office in the
past was a reference to the past leadership of then-Cardinal Ratzinger.
“Since the first day of his pontificate, Pope Francis has tried to distance himself from his predecessor,” said Seewald.
He recalled the
funeral for the late Pontiff, at which the Pope’s words were “as cold as
the whole ceremony.”
While it is natural that a new Pope would have his own priorities,
Seewald continued, “the latest developments point to a real break in the
dam. And given the dramatic decline of Christianity in Europe, this
could result in a flood that destroys what has still survived.”