An unpublished letter from Pope Benedict XVI has come to light. It is dated August 21, 2014, a little over a year after his resignation.
The recipient is Father Nicola Bux. The existence of the letter was known, but its contents were never made public until now, as the Italian newspaper, La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana, has published it.
In the letter, the Pope Emeritus responded to those who, at the time, claimed that his resignation was not valid.
Many argued that Benedict had resigned from the ministry, but not from the munus petrinum — that is, the role and responsibilities a pope holds as the Successor of Peter.
To say that with my resignation I would have only renounced the exercise of the ministry, but not the 'munus' is contrary to clear dogmatic and canonical doctrine... If some journalists speak of a progressive schism, they do not deserve any attention.
Pope Benedict XVI resigned on February 28, 2013, marking a historic milestone. He was the first pope to resign in nearly 600 years, and with this letter, he once again made it clear: his resignation was full and valid.
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