Pope Benedict XVI will be known as "emeritus pope" in his retirement and will continue to wear a white cassock, the Vatican has announced, again fuelling concerns about potential conflicts arising from having both a reigning and a retired pope.
The pope's title and what he would wear have been a major source of speculation ever since Benedict stunned the world and announced he would resign, the first pontiff to do so in 600 years.
The Vatican spokesman, the Rev Federico Lombardi, said Benedict himself had made the decision in consultation with others, settling on "Your Holiness Benedict XVI" and either emeritus pope or emeritus Roman pontiff as his titles following his resignation this Thursday.
Lombardi said he did not know why Benedict had decided to drop his other main title: bishop of Rome.
In the two weeks since Benedict's resignation announcement, Vatican officials had suggested that Benedict would be likely to resume wearing the traditional black garb of a cleric and would use the title "emeritus bishop of Rome" so as to not create confusion with the future pope.
Benedict's decision to call himself emeritus pope and to keep wearing white is sure to fan concern voiced privately by some cardinals about the awkward reality of having two popes, both living within the Vatican walls.
Adding to the concern is that Benedict's trusted secretary Monsignor Georg Gaänswein will be serving both pontiffs – living with Benedict at the monastery inside the Vatican and keeping his day job as prefect of the new pope's household.
Asked about the potential conflicts, Lombardi was defensive, saying the decisions had been clearly reasoned and were likely to have been made for the sake of simplicity. "I believe it was well thought out," he said.
Benedict himself has made clear he is retiring to a lifetime of prayer and meditation "hidden from the world". However, he will still be very present in the tiny Vatican city state, where his new home is right next door to the Vatican Radio and looks out over the dome of St Peter's Basilica.
While he will no longer wear his trademark red shoes, Benedict has taken a liking to a pair of hand-crafted brown loafers made for him by artisans in León, Mexico, and given to him during his 2012 visit. He will wear those in retirement, according to Lombardi.
Lombardi also spoke about the College of Cardinals meetings that will take place after the papacy becomes vacant – crucial gatherings in which cardinals will discuss the problems facing the church and set a date for the start of the conclave to elect Benedict's successor.
The first meeting was not now expected until Monday, Lombardi said, since the official convocation to cardinals to come to Rome will only go out on Friday – the first day of what is known as the sede vacante or the vacancy between papacies.
Benedict gave the cardinals the go-ahead on Monday to bring forward the start date of the conclave – tossing out the traditional 15-day waiting period. But the cardinals will not actually set a date for the conclave until they begin meeting officially on Monday.
Lombardi also further described Benedict's final 48 hours as pope. On Tuesday, he was said to be packing, arranging for documents to be sent to the various archives at the Vatican and separating out the personal papers he will take with him into retirement.
On Wednesday, Benedict will hold his final public general audience in St Peter's Square – an event that has already drawn 50,000 ticket requests. He will not greet visiting prelates or VIPs as he normally does at the end but will greet some visiting leaders – from Slovakia, San Marino, Andorra and his native Bavaria – privately afterwards.
On Thursday, the pope meets with his cardinals in the morning and then flies by helicopter at 5pm to Castel Gandolfo, the papal residence south of Rome. He will greet parishioners there from the balcony of the palace – his final public act as pope.
And at 8pm, the exact time at which his retirement becomes official, the Swiss Guards standing outside the doors of the palace will go off duty, their service protecting the head of the Catholic church then finished.
Benedict's personal security would be assured by Vatican police, Lombardi said.
The pope's title and what he would wear have been a major source of speculation ever since Benedict stunned the world and announced he would resign, the first pontiff to do so in 600 years.
The Vatican spokesman, the Rev Federico Lombardi, said Benedict himself had made the decision in consultation with others, settling on "Your Holiness Benedict XVI" and either emeritus pope or emeritus Roman pontiff as his titles following his resignation this Thursday.
Lombardi said he did not know why Benedict had decided to drop his other main title: bishop of Rome.
In the two weeks since Benedict's resignation announcement, Vatican officials had suggested that Benedict would be likely to resume wearing the traditional black garb of a cleric and would use the title "emeritus bishop of Rome" so as to not create confusion with the future pope.
Benedict's decision to call himself emeritus pope and to keep wearing white is sure to fan concern voiced privately by some cardinals about the awkward reality of having two popes, both living within the Vatican walls.
Adding to the concern is that Benedict's trusted secretary Monsignor Georg Gaänswein will be serving both pontiffs – living with Benedict at the monastery inside the Vatican and keeping his day job as prefect of the new pope's household.
Asked about the potential conflicts, Lombardi was defensive, saying the decisions had been clearly reasoned and were likely to have been made for the sake of simplicity. "I believe it was well thought out," he said.
Benedict himself has made clear he is retiring to a lifetime of prayer and meditation "hidden from the world". However, he will still be very present in the tiny Vatican city state, where his new home is right next door to the Vatican Radio and looks out over the dome of St Peter's Basilica.
While he will no longer wear his trademark red shoes, Benedict has taken a liking to a pair of hand-crafted brown loafers made for him by artisans in León, Mexico, and given to him during his 2012 visit. He will wear those in retirement, according to Lombardi.
Lombardi also spoke about the College of Cardinals meetings that will take place after the papacy becomes vacant – crucial gatherings in which cardinals will discuss the problems facing the church and set a date for the start of the conclave to elect Benedict's successor.
The first meeting was not now expected until Monday, Lombardi said, since the official convocation to cardinals to come to Rome will only go out on Friday – the first day of what is known as the sede vacante or the vacancy between papacies.
Benedict gave the cardinals the go-ahead on Monday to bring forward the start date of the conclave – tossing out the traditional 15-day waiting period. But the cardinals will not actually set a date for the conclave until they begin meeting officially on Monday.
Lombardi also further described Benedict's final 48 hours as pope. On Tuesday, he was said to be packing, arranging for documents to be sent to the various archives at the Vatican and separating out the personal papers he will take with him into retirement.
On Wednesday, Benedict will hold his final public general audience in St Peter's Square – an event that has already drawn 50,000 ticket requests. He will not greet visiting prelates or VIPs as he normally does at the end but will greet some visiting leaders – from Slovakia, San Marino, Andorra and his native Bavaria – privately afterwards.
On Thursday, the pope meets with his cardinals in the morning and then flies by helicopter at 5pm to Castel Gandolfo, the papal residence south of Rome. He will greet parishioners there from the balcony of the palace – his final public act as pope.
And at 8pm, the exact time at which his retirement becomes official, the Swiss Guards standing outside the doors of the palace will go off duty, their service protecting the head of the Catholic church then finished.
Benedict's personal security would be assured by Vatican police, Lombardi said.
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