, Columnist
Pope Benedict and the Art of Strategic Retirement
Joseph Ratzinger wasn’t supposed to be Pope. As Pope Emeritus, he was supposed to go quietly into history. He may be more influential after death.
Pope Benedict XVI.
Photographer: Alessandra Benedetti - Corbis/Corbis HistoricalThis article is for subscribers only.
The death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on the last day of 2022 marked the end of an awkward period in the history of the Holy See — a time when two Popes coexisted. The longer-term effects of the double-headed papacy remain to be seen — along with whether Francis, who was elected when Benedict retired in 2013, can now reign unshackled by the politesse demanded by the august but often inimical presence of his predecessor.
The career of Joseph Ratzinger, however, is one that will benefit the study of how retirement can be wielded as a strategy to further one’s ambitions.