Vatican designates Benedict XVI as reigning Pope Letter from the State Secretariat dated 18 February 2019. (Rome) In the Vatican there was already some concern and also anger about it, because not few faithful see in Benedict XVI still a Pope or even "the" Pope. But the Holy See should not wonder about it, because it contributes to it itself. Benedict XVI laid the foundation stone for it by still determining as Pope how his life would look after the resignation on 28 February 2013. He retained the Pope's name and clothing and also signed as such, but with the addition of a Papa emeritus, an emeritus Pope, unknown in church history so far. If one sets the designation analogously to the emeritus status of bishops, then it would mean that he remained Pope with all rights, but was released from the management tasks.  But now the Holy See promotes this ambivalent interpretation of a situation which is perceived as an anomaly and has repeatedly been described as such. The State Secretariat of the Vatican, the highest government authority of the Holy See serving the Pope, treated Benedict XVI in a letter of reply of 18 February 2019 as if he were still the reigning Pope. https://katholisches.info/tawato/uploads/2019/03/Benedikt-XVI-Staatssekretariat-Feb-18-2019.jpg The First Section - General Affairs responded to a priest in the USA. Reason and content of the letter do not matter. It is noteworthy that the Vatican State Secretariat in it designates Benedict XVI and titles him as an acting Pope. The letter could not have been written differently before 28 February 2013. Benedict XVI is described with his pope name and as "holiness". Exactly so it comes to a pope, and exactly so Benedict XVI wanted it too. But to distinguish him from his successor he added the retirement with the "emeritus". This distinction is missing in the reply of the Secretariat of State, signed by Msgr Paolo Borgia, who is number two of the First Section behind the substitute of the Cardinal Secretary of State. https://katholisches.info/2019/03/19/85983/ german