The 95-year-old Benedict, who has lived secluded in the Vatican gardens since 2013, has been physically frail, but mentally fit for a long time. It appears his health has taken a turn for the worse.
It is noticeable that many of the book’s Anglophone contributors are almost bewildered by the sudden papal attack on the traditional liturgy. This is a shortcoming of the Anglo-centric perspective, which underestimates the depth of the antipathy towards the Apostolic Roman Rite amongst many non-Anglophone bishops.
