[ 0 → 4] TRADCAST EXPRESS [ 4 → 15] TRADCAST EXPRESS, it's Thursday, September 20th, 2018. [ 15 → 18] Herr Ratzinger is not amused. [ 19 → 26] The German tabloid Bild and the New York Times published excerpts today from two leaked letters [ 26 → 32] allegedly written by Benedict XVI last year to Novus Ordo Cardinal Walter Braunmuller, [ 33 → 38] one of the two last surviving Dubia Cardinals, if you remember that whole circus. [ 39 → 46] In October of last year, Braunmuller had given an interview to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung [ 46 → 50] in which he criticized the notion of a Pope Emeritus, [ 50 → 55] saying it was a novel idea and contrary to 2,000 years of tradition. [ 56 → 62] So then Benedict XVI wrote a letter to Braunmuller dated November 9th, 2017, [ 63 → 69] and then Braunmuller responded and then Benedict followed up with another letter on November 23rd. [ 69 → 74] It's the letter of November 9th that is really the more explosive of the two [ 74 → 83] because it shows a Benedict XVI who is quite angry over the criticism Braunmuller expressed in the German newspaper. [ 84 → 85] Here's what Ratzinger wrote. [ 86 → 90] It was presented by Bild and the New York Times, and I'm using their translations. [ 91 → 92] Quote, [ 92 → 99] You said that with Pope Emeritus I had created a figure that had not existed in the whole history of the Church. [ 100 → 105] You know very well, of course, that Popes have abdicated, albeit very rarely. [ 105 → 109] What were they afterward? Pope Emeritus? Or what else? [ 110 → 115] As you know, Pius XII had prepared a declaration in case the Nazis were to arrest him. [ 116 → 120] That from the moment of the arrest he would no longer be Pope, but once again Cardinal. [ 121 → 126] In my case, it would certainly not have been sensible to simply claim a return to being Cardinal. [ 126 → 131] I would then have been constantly as exposed to the media as a Cardinal is, [ 131 → 135] even more so because people would have seen in me the former Pope. [ 135 → 139] Whether on purpose or not, this could have had difficult consequences, [ 139 → 142] especially in the context of the current situation. [ 143 → 146] With Pope Emeritus, I tried to create a situation, [ 146 → 149] in which I am absolutely not accessible to the media, [ 149 → 154] and in which it is completely clear that there is only one Pope. [ 154 → 158] If you know of a better way, and believe that you can judge the one I chose, [ 158 → 160] please tell me. Unquote. [ 161 → 161] Whoa. [ 163 → 170] Now, honestly, I'm not so sure that I can even believe that Ratzinger really wrote this, [ 170 → 173] because this is just stupid, okay? [ 174 → 176] And though the anti-Pope Americans, [ 176 → 177] Emeritus is a lot of things, [ 177 → 179] stupid isn't one of them. [ 180 → 183] First, in the interview Brandtmuller had given in October 2017, [ 183 → 187] he didn't say that no Pope had ever resigned, [ 188 → 190] but that specifically the figure of a Pope Emeritus, [ 192 → 195] the way Ratzinger, let's face it, invented it, [ 195 → 199] was unknown in all of Catholic history. [ 199 → 201] So when Ratzinger here asks, [ 202 → 205] what were Popes after they resigned, if not Popes Emeritus, [ 205 → 208] well, he knows very well that they were simply Cardinals, [ 209 → 211] which is what they had been before their election to the papacy. [ 212 → 214] There was no Pope Emeritus. [ 215 → 218] Now then, of course, he says that in his case, [ 219 → 222] it would not have been reasonable to return to being a Cardinal. [ 223 → 223] Really? [ 224 → 226] Oh, because the media. [ 227 → 232] Yeah, like he couldn't have simply exited the scene just as well as a Cardinal who used to be Pope, [ 232 → 235] the way he has done now with this, [ 235 → 236] Emeritus character. [ 237 → 239] And even if he couldn't, [ 239 → 243] that doesn't mean he can just create his own theological fantasy figure [ 243 → 246] just because he wants to escape media attention. [ 247 → 250] The Catholic Church isn't his private playground. [ 251 → 252] But then it gets better, right? [ 252 → 257] He says he wanted to create a situation in which it was absolutely clear [ 257 → 260] that there was only one Pope. [ 261 → 261] Yeah. [ 262 → 264] And what better way to do that [ 264 → 265] than to remain in the Church of Christ, [ 265 → 267] remain in Vatican City dressed in white [ 267 → 270] and retaining your name Benedict XVI [ 270 → 274] with just a little Emeritus added at the end. [ 274 → 278] And of course, having people address you as Your Holiness. [ 279 → 281] I mean, does he think we're completely stupid? [ 282 → 286] This reminds me of some other bizarre stuff [ 286 → 288] we've heard from Ratzinger about this before, [ 288 → 291] such as when it was reported that he said that [ 291 → 295] he resigned because he couldn't take the jet lag, [ 295 → 296] that he would have to suffer [ 296 → 299] when flying to World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro [ 299 → 303] later that year in 2013. [ 304 → 308] Or remember his explanation for why he decided [ 308 → 311] to continue wearing the white cassock after his resignation. [ 312 → 312] Quote, [ 312 → 314] At the moment of my resignation, [ 315 → 317] there were no other clothes available. [ 318 → 319] In any case, [ 319 → 322] I wear the white cassock in a visibly different way [ 322 → 324] to how the Pope wears it. [ 324 → 327] This is another case of completely unfounded [ 327 → 329] speculations being made. [ 330 → 331] Unquote. [ 332 → 333] Right. [ 334 → 338] They couldn't find any black cassocks in the Vatican [ 338 → 341] between the time he announced his resignation [ 341 → 344] on February 11th and it taking effect [ 344 → 346] on February 28th. [ 347 → 347] Got it. [ 348 → 351] Let's also recall the hilarious nonsense [ 351 → 354] Benedict's private secretary said [ 354 → 356] about it when he told a conference [ 356 → 359] at the Pontifical Gregorian University [ 359 → 361] on May 20th, 2016, [ 361 → 363] that with Benedict's resignation [ 363 → 364] and the election of Francis, [ 364 → 366] the papacy had now been expanded [ 367 → 369] to a shared ministry, [ 369 → 371] having an active member [ 371 → 373] and a contemplative member. [ 373 → 375] I mean, they just make it up [ 375 → 376] as they go along. [ 377 → 380] So, this stuff is simply idiotic. [ 381 → 382] All right. [ 382 → 383] One final point, [ 383 → 383] and this, [ 384 → 385] this is quite hilarious. [ 385 → 386] If you were thinking [ 386 → 389] that Ratzinger's letters to Braunmuller [ 389 → 391] had to make it all the way [ 391 → 392] from Italy to Germany, [ 393 → 394] you're wrong. [ 395 → 397] Both Ratzinger and Braunmuller [ 397 → 398] live in Vatican City, [ 399 → 401] and the physical distance between them [ 401 → 404] is approximately 400 meters. [ 405 → 406] That's 1,300 feet. [ 408 → 410] In other news, [ 410 → 412] Francis wouldn't be Francis [ 412 → 414] if he didn't have something [ 414 → 415] to complain about. [ 415 → 416] And today, [ 416 → 417] he used the opportunity [ 417 → 420] to once again rip into those few [ 420 → 421] who are left in his church [ 421 → 422] who still believe [ 422 → 425] in the indissolubility of marriage, [ 426 → 426] castigating them [ 426 → 429] as hypocritical doctors of the law [ 429 → 431] who think they're saved [ 431 → 432] by their own merits. [ 434 → 435] Totally leaving out of account [ 435 → 436] the fact, of course, [ 436 → 438] that it was the Pharisees, [ 438 → 440] the doctors of the law, [ 440 → 442] who opposed the indissolubility [ 442 → 443] of marriage. [ 444 → 446] And believed in divorce and remarriage [ 446 → 448] and were contradicted for it [ 448 → 449] by Christ. [ 451 → 453] Francis ended by saying [ 453 → 455] that hypocrites destroy the people, [ 456 → 457] destroy society, [ 457 → 460] and destroy the church. [ 461 → 462] And he would know. [ 463 → 464] Tradcast Express is a production [ 464 → 466] of Novos Ordo Watch. [ 466 → 468] Check us out at tradcast.org [ 468 → 470] and if you like what we're doing, [ 470 → 471] please consider making [ 471 → 472] a tax-deductible contribution [ 472 → 473] at NovosOrdoWatch. [ 474 → 475] NovosOrdoWatch.org [ 475 → 476] slash donate.