Former Pope Benedict claims in a new
memoir that he broke up a “gay lobby” in the Vatican that
attempted to influence his decisions.
Italian daily Corriere della Sera
on Friday summarized key points in Benedict's upcoming book, titled
The Last Conversations.
Benedict, who,
citing health concerns, stepped down in 2013, says
in the book that he “broke up this power group,” which he
described as four or five individuals who were seeking to influence
his decisions.
Pope Francis has
also acknowledged the existence of a “gay lobby,” saying that “it
is there” and “we need to see what we can do.”
Benedict, 89, said
that he resigned because he was “exhausted” and lacked a
“resoluteness in governing.”