The Devil Won't Wear Prada. But He's Keeping His Hottie ....And Just About Everything Else.

KEEPS: "His Holiness", Archbishop Georg Gänswein, full papal staff, "Benedict XVI", use of Castel Gandolfo, papal apartments, strings to the papacy
LOSES: ruby slippers, diamond-encrusted gold toilet flush, fisherman's ring, Swiss Guard, Twitter account
GAINS: "Pope Emeritus", relief at foisting off a lot of headaches to the next poor mensch

The life of a scandal-laden Pope Emeritus will not be easy for Benedict XVI, but he will manage, especially in the companionship department:

     Vatican City, 14 February 2013 (VIS) - Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Prefect of the Prefecture of the Papal Household and secretary to Benedict XVI, will continue to carry out both roles and will thus accompany the Pope during his stay at Castel Gandolfo and at the monastery that he will retire to after his resignation from the papacy. The papal household, or "memores", which has served the Holy Father during these past eight years will also move to the same monastery.

How Archbishop Ganswein will fare remains to be seen, for unless the monastery chosen by Benedict is in Vatican City, the devoted, hunky secretary may have to shuttle between jobs. Devotion has its price.

Pope E-Mary-tus

The relationship between the Pope and his secretary has long been a matter of speculation, especially in light of the latest Vatileaks revelation: a secret network of gay priests:

       The priests, it seems, are allegedly being blackmailed by a network of male prostitutes who worked at a sauna in Rome’s Quarto Miglio district, a health spa in the city center, and a private residence once entrusted to a prominent archbishop. The evidence reportedly includes compromising photos and videos of the prelates—sometimes caught on film in drag, and, in some cases, caught “in the act.”

If His Holiness has had a long-term affair with his secretary, it is evident that only the next pope will know, for the contents of the 300-page dossier that supposedly led to Benedict's resignation holds many, many secrets. As one prelate put it, the dossier will be like "the 118th cardinal in the conclave." And the next pope may be sharing Benedict's "longtime companion." That will make for a cozy, tight-lipped arrangement.

Perks and Pedophiles

Surrounded by his faithful secretary and his staff, Benedict may still live in absolute luxury, pomp and circumstance: the papal "household" can be quite immense, involving scores of clergy and dignitaries:

 wikipedia:

       The Papal Household or Pontifical Household (Latin: Domus Pontificalis), called until 1968 the Papal Court (Pontificalis Aula),[1] consists of dignitaries who assist the Pope in carrying out particular ceremonies of either a religious or a civil character.It is organised into two bodies: the Papal Chapel (Cappella Pontificia), which assists the pope in his functions as spiritual head of the church, especially in religious ceremonies; and the Papal Family or Household (Familia Pontificia), which assists him as head of a juridical body with civil functions.

True, it may be scaled down a bit due to the advanced age of the pope and lessening of activities, but the fact remains that Benedict will be attended to by a "court" costing the Vatican million$ each year, a sum which can be used to pay off some of the many lawsuits going against the Church and its priests.

Quitting in comfort amid controversy is nothing new to prelates (many bishops and cardinals resign), but Benedict's resignation leaves so many questions that, as Betty Bowers put it,l he may truly be the Sarah Palin of Popes.

The Sinking Ship Of The Vatican: Is Desertion Necessary?

Perhaps as a sign from above, St. Peter's dome was struck by lightening after the announcement by Benedict that he was resigning from his position of Supreme Pontiff. It was a stunning sight, caught on film at the right moment. A sign from God?




Some say that such a reaction from above may actually echo the sentiments of millions of people around the globe to Benedict's papacy.


“Both as Cardinal Ratzinger and as Pope, Benedict devoted himself to a process of undermining, silencing, and marginalizing the theologians, priests, and religious who committed themselves to the liberation of the poor." - Jennifer Hughes, Associate Professor, Humanities UC Riverside
The Sinking Ship of The Vatican

Benedict's papacy has been rife with scandal in two primary areas: cover-ups of pedophile priests and shady dealings with the Vatican finances. Of the latter, points in two OpEdNews articles come to mind: The Vatican's Fake Occupy Implodes and, more recently, The Vatican's Golden Toilet Flush bring out the profligacy of the Vatican and how it cared more for making money than giving to the poor. Liberation Theology was, in fact, given an act of defenestration, of execution and Ratzinger showed the world that Catholicism was going to reverse the progress initiated by John XXIII.
It was also going to cover up, cover up, cover up.

And it is because of these scandals, that Benedict is leaving the Vatican in less-than-better shape. To many, the Vatican is considered a ship, slowly sinking in a sea of traditionalism that no longer suits the needs of the modern world. It has reversed course from Vatican II while fighting the consequences of pedophile priests and decades of cover-ups. It has also been enthroned on financial cover-ups which, over the years, have shown the Vatican to be incredibly rich, caring for the poor less and supremacy more.


Too feeble to carry on?
"both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me."
To many, it is inconceivable that Benedict has admitted his mind is not as sharp as it once was to carry on the role of the papacy. And while he has looked more haggard of late, his deterioration seems a bit sudden to those who have watched him closely. But to those who watched the waning life of John Paul II, there's something of the quitter in Ratzinger's decision: it's more "I'm too old for this stuff. Let someone else battle the scandals and deal with the cover-ups."

There is a Twitter profile - #QuitterPope - which deals with the situation in an irreverent, but spot-on manner. It is also indicative of the ill will generated by Ratzinger's papacy.
What Now For Ratzinger?

"Will Pope Benedict now become Dowager Pope, showing up at Vatican dinners in enormous velvet hats to deliver withering one-liners?"

"The pope quit his job to spend more time with your children."

- Betty Bowers

REGENSBURG, Germany (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI is planning to stay out of the public eye following his retirement at the end of the month and will probably not write any further works during hislifetime, his brother said Tuesday after talking with the pontiff.
While many people like OPEDNews' own Rob Kall and Matthew Fox says "Good Riddance," the situation of a retired pope may not be dismissed as easily as one might think: what will the Vatican be spending on a papal retirement? How extravagant will it be? Benedict will definitely not be cared for in some obscure monastery in the Alps. Will the pope who wears Prada afford the luxury of a gold and diamond-studded toilet handle in the papal apartments and be attended to by monsignors and bishops? Possibly. Will he receive all the trappings of a retired monarch, like chauffeur-driven limos and those ever-present Prada shoes? Probably. After all, Ratzinger is a traditionalist and even former popes have to keep up appearances. 

More importantly, will he continue to pull strings?

The Next One: The Devil Wears Prada





While parodying pundits like Betty Bowers are having a field day with Ratzinger's resignation, the seriousness of the candidacy looms: will the next pope carry on the regressive policies? After all, many of cardinals standing were hand-picked by the the pontiff to keep up the pace of such regression.

Will reluctance of transparency still be the order of the day?

More importantly, will the new pope continue to wear Prada?