Bertone to blame for Pope's downfall?

Immediately following the news of Pope Benedict XVI's resignation, Walt was one of the first to point the finger of blame and shame at Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone. See "Walt tells you who the next Pope won't be".

Four days later, I told you I'm not the only one who feels responsibility for the misdirection of the Church and the Holy Father is the fault of his Secretary of State. See "''Bertone must go!' -- cardinal's warning to Benedict".

In that post I wondered why Pope Ratzinger is so loyal to Cardinal Bertone, given that the latter has got him into so much trouble. We shall probably never know, but a number of possibilities come to mind. For instance, they might be lodge brothers! It is an "open secret" that there are Freemasons in the highest ranks of the Church -- enemies within the walls plotting to install one of their own as the next pope. (See "'Peter the Roman': the last Pope?").

Getting back to Bertone, I want to share with you part of the Economist's take on the situation. The Economist is no friend of Holy Mother Church, but that doesn't mean they don't keep an eye on doings the Vatican. Here's what they had to say on 16 February.

In Benedict's first sermon as pope, he asked the faithful to pray for their new shephered "that I may not flee for fear of the wolves". His fans feel the wolves won. A toxic row between his secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, and other Vatican factions lay behind the so-called Vatileaks scandal last year.

The Pope's own butler was found to have leaked documents clearly damaging to Cardinal Bertone.... To his critics Benedict is not a victim, but a weak pope who gave free rein to an ill-prepared and unsuitable secretary of state. The Vatileaks documents cast a bad light on him too.

Vatican watchers, both religious and secular, have long said that Bertone was miffed that Ratzinger had been chosen pope rather than his progressive and intelligent self. I wasn't kidding when I posted a picture, some months ago, of Bertone with his hand behind Benedict's back, and asked (in jest of course) if he was holding a knife. Whether he meant to or not, Bertone has brought Benedict down. But he will not be "Peter the Roman".