Benedict XVI\u2019s former secretary hopes the pope\u2019s beatification process will open soon Archbishop Georg G\u00e4nswein, former secretary of Pope Benedict XVI, said he hopes the beatification process will begin soon for the German pontiff, who died on Dec. 31, 2022. \u201cPersonally, I have great hopes that this process will be opened,\u201d the archbishop and current apostolic nuncio to Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia said in an interview with the television channel K-TV, which aired Dec. 7. According to current Church regulations, a potential beatification process for Pope Benedict XVI could only begin five years after his death unless the current pope grants special authorization before then, as Joseph Ratzinger himself did with John Paul II, waiving this waiting period. In the excerpt from the interview, published by the German Catholic media outlet Katholisch, G\u00e4nswein emphasized that one of Pope Benedict\u2019s essential qualities for understanding the faith was joy. The archbishop noted that, for the German pontiff, if faith does not lead to joy, \u201csomething is not right in one\u2019s life of faith. Ratzinger, Benedict XVI, is a theologian of joy.\u201d G\u00e4nswein also said that another important lesson from the late pope is that \u201cwe must not compromise on the essentials; rather, we must allow ourselves to be shaped by the Lord, by the faith of the Church.\u201d In the interview, G\u00e4nswein also spoke about the tensions that arose after the publication of the motu proprio Traditionis Custodes \u2014 with which Pope Francis restricted the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass \u2014 and encouraged efforts to overcome these tensions. In 2007, Pope Benedict liberalized the opportunities to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass with his motu proprio Summorum Pontificum. \u201cI believe that Pope Benedict\u2019s wise decision was the right one, and this path should be continued without difficulty or restriction,\u201d Ratzinger\u2019s former secretary said. On Oct. 25 of this year, Cardinal Raymond Burke, prefect emeritus of the Apostolic Signatura, celebrated a solemn Traditional Latin Mass in St. Peter\u2019s Basilica in the Vatican, an event that seemingly demonstrated Pope Leo XIV\u2019s openness to this rite. This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA\u2019s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today EWTN Vatican on WhatsApp Walter S\u00e1nchez Silva Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter. More news related to this article This Missionary Of Mercy Accompanied A Former Priest Imprisoned For Pedophilia Pope Francis adds Hollerich and four other cardinals to his council of advisers Pope Francis calls surrogacy \u2018deplorable,\u2019 calls for global ban in speech to ambassadors South American Cardinals entering the Conclave 2025: Who are they? Vatican announces theme for World Day of Peace 2025 Pope Francis\u2019 grandfatherly advice<\/p>\n