Francis Sought Benedict's Critique

Pope Benedict is still in the mix. After Pope Francis conducted a landmark interview last September in which he bashed the Vatican leadership's focus on "small-minded" rules, he requested input on the final product from Benedict, who was sent the first printed copy. Benedict, in turn, responded with a four pages of critique and commentary on the ideas put forth, said Monsignor Georg Gaenswein, the retired pope's secretary and the current pope's household head. Gaenswein declined to specify, but said Benedict "did indeed offer some thoughts and some remarks on certain comments or certain questions on which he thought something additional could perhaps be said in another place."