During his pontificate, Pope emeritus Benedict XVI created a total of 90 cardinals. One of them was Italian Fernando Filoni, one of his closest collaborators and one of the people in the Curia who knew best how the Pope Emeritus worked.
CARD. FERNANDO FILONI
Grand Master, Order of the Holy Sepulcher
He listened in silence. He wasn't thinking about something else but listening to what was being said. And this was not only in his relationship for example, I don't know with his students, with people, but also in governing. He would always ask what do you think about this problem or this situation? And then he would decide.
Cardinal Filoni highlighted the Pope emeritus' firmness and serenity in facing some issues, such as the cases of abuse within the Church.
CARD. FERNANDO FILONI
Grand Master, Order of the Holy Sepulcher
From this point of view, Pope Benedict was the first one who sensed the depth of the issue and, as it were, putting it in the hands of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, brought out the gravity, the problematic nature and the breadth of the issue.
He was the first one who wanted to, through his decisions, establish a way of proceeding and a way of approaching victims that, in the past, had not been so evident.
Prophet, teacher and father—these are the three words that Cardinal Filoni used to described Pope emeritus Benedict XVI.
CARD. FERNANDO FILONI
Grand Master, Order of the Holy Sepulcher
These are important characteristics that I want to say were not only apparent when he was Pope. But this is a characteristic that developed during the time of his life first as a teacher, then as a bishop, then as the prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and then as pope.
Cardinal Filoni was the Vatican Substitute of the Secretariat of State and Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples during the the papacy of Benedict XVI.
CA
TR: KG
