by Anura Guruge
on December 29, 2022
Pope Francis had to have addressed this sad but thorny issue YEARS ago.
It is trickey & difficult BUT there is ONLY ONE TRUE & real answer.
EX-POPE Benedict XVI is NOT A POPE.
It is like being pregnant. You are either pregnant or you are NOT.
Ditto a pope. You are either POPE or you are NOT. Yes, yes, yes, we had had 3 popes in parallel BUT they were NOT all popes.
IF Ratzinger wanted a full blown papal funeral he should NOT have abdicated.
He is NOT a pope.
You can’t give him a full, papal funeral. That would be a travesty.
As with a conclave there are some elaborate protocols to do with papal funerals including triple caskets, 9 days of official mourning (i.e., Novemdiales) etc. Ratzinger is not entitled to these. He is no longer a pope. He is an ex-pope.
He should get a funeral on par with a Cardinal Bishop.
