Archbishop Gare Gansfine, the assistant secretary to the late Pope,

Benedict 16, who died on December 31, 2022, has announced that he has destroyed the personal documents of Pope Benedict XVI,

saying that this was the request of the late Pontiff. He said there are no more documents of Pope Benedict XVI,

everything has either been released or destroyed. In an interview that came out recently, he discussed the inheritance of Pope Benedict XVI,

what happened to his pens, his watches, his liturgical items, and then also said yes, I, in fact, did destroy the documents of Benedict XVI.

Gansfine says, quote, a shame? Yes, I told him that too, but he gave me this instruction. There is no going back. There are no unpublished writings left.

And quote says Archbishop Gansfine. He said that he has had to track down the surviving heirs of the estate of the late Pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI.

He said he thought there were two cousins of the Pope, turns out there are five cousins who are heirs of the Pope's estate.

I don't know how much money this is. He says that the book rights will remain with the Vatican, but these other items in an account will be divided up for the surviving relatives. He says quote, Gansfine.

He says quote, this has been very interesting for me. I thought he had two relatives, two cousins, but there are five cousins in total. By law, I have to write to the cousins who are the closest relatives,

and also by law, I have to ask them, do you accept the inheritance or do you not accept it? He told Italian national media. He also said that there are many personal items from quote, watches, pens, paintings, liturgical items, which were included in a list meticulously drawn up by Benedict XVI before he died.

Archbishop Gansfine says he hasn't forgotten anyone, collaborators, secretaries, seminarians, students, drivers, parish priests, friends. And as I mentioned before, the rights of his book will remain with the Vatican.

An apportion of them will go to the Joseph Rattinger Vatican Foundation.

This news from Archbishop Gansfine is also paired with the news from other articles coming out today that Gansfine will be transferred away from the Vatican, and will be made the Apostolic Nuncio for Costa Rica, which Costa Rica is legit.

You know, be nice to be in Costa Rica, but that's definitely a demotion. Definitely if this is true, would show that Pope Francis is not too keen on Gansfine.

All right, so I'm going to do a little bit of Q&A and talk with y'all on the live chat right now. What do you guys think? Is this legitimate?

The destruction of the documents I personally want to see where Benedict said burn all my docs, destroy all my correspondence, wipe the hard drives.

I just want to have peace about it. And then secondly, if Gansfine is sent to Costa Rica, is that a demotion?

You think about this guy who's basically been the right-hand man of Benedict from before and after his pontificate. Also in many ways been the right-hand man to Francis.

During Francis' pontificate, very close collaborator in the Vatican, to be sent off to Costa Rica. It was kind of odd, kind of weird. Let's see what you guys say.

All right, Cath M. Howell says, so he can relax and recharge, not a demotion.

Hmm, FYI, you don't often in the Vatican and church politics go and get a, hey, you go chill in Costa Rica for five years.

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