VATICAN CITY
Tribune-Review
By The Associated Press
Published: Tuesday, February 12, 2013
VATICAN CITY — The papal ring will be destroyed, along with other powerful emblems of authority, just as they are after a pope’s death. The retiring Pope Benedict XVI will live in a monastery on the edge of the Vatican gardens and will likely even give up his beloved theological writing.
The Vatican went out of its way on Tuesday to declare that for Benedict, retirement means just that: retirement.
With speculation swirling about his future role, the Vatican’s chief spokesman explicitly stated that Benedict will not influence the election of his successor. …
As for the pope’s new name, Burke said Benedict would most likely be referred to as “Bishop of Rome, emeritus” as opposed to “Pope Emeritus.” Lombardi also said Benedict would take some kind of “emeritus” title.
Other Vatican officials said it would probably be up to the next pope to decide Benedict’s new title and wouldn’t exclude that he might still be called “Your Holiness” as a courtesy, much as retired presidents are often referred to as “President.” It was not even clear whether the retired pope will retain the name Benedict or revert to being called Joseph Ratzinger again.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.