‘Lettergate’ comes to a head as pope’s message released
VATICAN CITY: Stung by accusations of spreading “fake news”, the Vatican on Saturday released the complete letter by Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI about Pope Francis after coming under blistering criticism for selectively citing it in a press release and digitally manipulating a photograph of it.
The previously hidden part of the letter provides the full explanation why Emeritus Pope Benedict refused to write a commentary on a new Vatican-published compilation of books about Pope Francis’ theological and philosophical background that was released to mark his fifth anniversary as pope.
In addition to saying he didn’t have time, Emeritus Pope Benedict noted that one of the authors involved in the project had launched “virulent”, “anti-papist” attacks against his teaching and that of St John Paul II. He said he was “surprised” the Vatican had chosen the theologian to be included in the 11-volume The Theology of Pope Francis.
“I’m certain you can understand why I’m declining,” Emeritus Pope Benedict wrote.
The Vatican’s Secretariat for Communications said on Saturday it was releasing the full text of the letter due to the controversy over the “presumed manipulation” of information when the volume was launched last Monday with great fanfare on the eve of Pope Francis’ anniversary.
It said its decision to withhold part of the letter at the time was based on its desire for reserve, “not because of any desire to censor”.
The so-called “Lettergate” scandal has embarrassed the Vatican’s communications operations and fueled the growing chasm between supporters of Pope Francis’ pastoral-focused papacy and conservatives who long for the doctrine-minded tenure of Emeritus Pope Benedict.
A Twitter hashtag #releasetheletter went viral among Catholic conservatives as the scandal widened.
The Secretariat for Communication, in particular, was accused of spreading “fake news” for having omitted key parts of Emeritus Pope Benedict’s letter and digitally blurring a photograph of the document where he started to explain why he wouldn’t comment on the book.
Many commentators noted the irony of accusations that the Vatican’s communications office was spreading “fake news” since Pope Francis dedicated his annual message for the church’s social communications day to fighting “fake news” and the distortion of information. Pope Francis has frequently criticised journalists for only giving half of the story.
The scandal began when the prefect of the communications office, Monsignor Dario Vigano, read part of Emeritus Pope Benedict’s letter aloud at the book presentation last Monday. Monsignor Vigano explained that he had sent Emeritus Pope Benedict the 11-volume set months ago in hopes of eliciting a theological commentary from the retired pope.
In the parts of Emeritus Pope Benedict’s letter that Monsignor Vigano chose to read, the former confirmed that Pope Francis has a solid theological and philosophical training and he praised the book initiative for showing the “interior continuity” between the two papacies.
He wrote it was “foolish prejudice” to paint Pope Francis as only a practical man devoid of theology and Emeritus Pope Benedict as a mere academic who knew nothing of the lives of ordinary faithful.
Monsignor Vigano held up the letter as evidence of the theological continuity between the two papacies, an effort to blunt conservative critics of Pope Francis’ mercy-over-morals priorities and emphasis on “discernment” over hard and fast doctrine.