The Italian edition paperbook was translated in 2013 in English and is now available only in e-book format on Amazon as Ratzinger Was Afraid. [54], In an interview in 2015 Bertone said that he was not surprised by the resignation of Pope Benedict: "I had guessed it, but put it out my thoughts. It’s no longer a problem.” This pilgrimage was officially authorized by the Holy See in May 2019. Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. Bertone has stated that his mother was a determined anti-fascist militant of the Italian People's Party, and later a Christian Democrat. Both Bertone and official Vatican spokespeople insisted that Bertone was not speaking as an official representative of the Church, but it was also noted that Bertone's high placement within the Church hierarchy and the fact that he was often named as a potential candidate for the papacy gave his words considerable weight, such that his comments were often reported by various media as an official statement from the Vatican. Both Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the congregation for bishops, who signed the decree and Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos, president of the pontifical commission "Ecclesia Dei," which dealt with the followers of Lefebvre said that they were taken by surprise, and were never aware that Williamson was a Holocaust denier.

Giovanni Angelo Becciu is an Italian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church.

The detention of Pope Benedict XVI's butler, suspected of leaking documents to the news media, has been extended, Vatican officials said Thursday. Versaldi had served before that as Bishop of Alessandria.

Fernando Filoni is a Cardinal prelate of the Catholic Church who serves as Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

[53] Pope Francis designated Pietro Parolin as his successor.

Previously, he had been serving as the Secretary General of the Governatorate of Vatican City State since his appointment by Benedict XVI on 3 September 2011. Italian cardinal of the Catholic Church and Vatican diplomat who, during his career, was the Archbishop of both Vercelli and Genoa.

[22] He continued: "I see a fixation by some journalists on moral topics, such as abortion and homosexual unions, which are certainly important issues but absolutely do not constitute the thinking and work of the Church. Radio was the main source of entertainment, information, and political propaganda, and jazz, blues, gospel, and folk music, became immensely popular. He holds a doctorate in canon law. Copyright © 2020 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. He served as Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples from 1985 to 2001, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1985. Like many famous people and celebrities, Tarcisio Bertone keeps his personal life private.

On 10 May 2008, he was named Cardinal-Bishop of Frascati. "The truth is that there is a malicious will to produce division" among the collaborators of Pope Benedict XVI, he said. [56]. [46] The same day, Spina testified that his immediate superior “told me there were no problems because Cardinal Bertone had clarified the situation with the Holy Father in person.” [47], On 3 October 2017, Gianantonio Bandera, an Italian businessman whose now-bankrupt contracting firm renovated the apartment, [48] said that Bertone personally oversaw the renovation and contacted him directly without taking bids, as would ordinarily be required. Bookmark this page and come back often for updates. Bertone said he was renovating the apartment at his own expense, that it is half the size reported, and that Pope Francis telephoned him to express support when he was attacked in the press for expenditure. [6], Two weeks before entering office, asked about reforms of the Roman Curia, Bertone remarked, "After almost two decades, an evaluation of how the dicasteries are organised is more than comprehensible, in order to reflect on how to make the existing structures more efficient for the mission of the Church and eventually to consider whether all of them should be maintained".