Pope Francis once again received Archbishop Georg Gänswein, former private secretary to Benedict XVI, in an audience.

Newsroom (05/19/2023 11:57, Gaudium Press) The announcement was made by the Vatican press office, without further details. The former secretary to Pope Benedict XVI is prefect of the Papal Household on leave and titular archbishop of Urbisaglia.

This is Msgr. Gänswein’s third audience since the death of Benedict XVI. According to his statements, he is waiting for the Pope to assign him a new task. There is speculation that Msgr. Gänswein will return to Germany.

Indeed, in an interview last Tuesday in Wiesbaden, he was asked whether in the future he could have an episcopate in Germany “I don’t decide. They decide for me,” Gänswein replied. There are currently three vacant dioceses in Germany: the Diocese of Bamberg, after Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Archbishop Ludwig Schick on November 1, 2022; the Diocese of Osnabrück, since the resignation of Bishop Franz-Josef Bode at the end of March; and the Episcopal See of Paderborn, since the age-related resignation of Archbishop Hans-Josef Becker on October 1, 2022.

In recent weeks, the 66-year-old archbishop has presented his memoir entitled “Nothing but the Truth” in German-speaking countries. Earlier this week, the archbishop, originally from the Archdiocese of Freiburg im Breisgau, presided at morning mass in Freiburg Cathedral.

With information and photo Vatican News

Compiled by Carlos Ruiz