Leaked Benedict XVI Letter Ends the Resignation Debate

Leaked Benedict XVI Letter Ends the Resignation Debate A previously unpublished letter from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI — dated August 21, 2014 — has just been made public, and it delivers a decisive blow to one of the most persistent Catholic conspiracy theories of the last decade. For years, some claimed that Benedict resigned only the ministry of St. Peter, not the munus (the papal office itself), which would have made Pope Francis an “antipope” and Benedict the true pope until his death. In this letter, Benedict calls that idea “absurd,” “contrary to clear dogmatic and canonical doctrine,” and dismisses it as fueling schism. We’ll break down what the letter says, why it matters, and how it confirms what I’ve been saying for years: Benedict fully resigned the papacy. We’ll also revisit an alleged apparition story promoted back in April 2023 by Taylor Marshall and others — claiming that Benedict’s ghost appeared to a nun, said Pope Francis murdered him, and that he remained the true pope. This new letter completely contradicts that story, yet those who promoted it seem oddly silent now.