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| Pope Francis, left, during a visit to Pope emeritus Benedict XVI at his residence in the Vatican on Monday. |
Dueling popes in a divided Vatican?
An outwardly cordial meeting this week between Pope Francis and his predecessor, the pope emeritus, Benedict XVI, masked a growing concern within the Vatican and far beyond: that having two popes can be confusing to the faithful — and can risk creating schisms within the Roman Catholic Church.
Francis and Benedict are vastly different in their style, substance and visions of the church. Benedict has remained an icon to traditionalists who feel threatened by Francis, a pope they consider a dictator, a liberal radical and an existential threat to church doctrine.
The background: In 2013, Benedict became the first pontiff in centuries to resign, but he hasn’t disappeared completely from view. Last week, he released a 6,000-word letter explaining his views on the church’s clerical sex abuse crisis, effectively undercutting Francis on the issue.
