Benedict XVI’s mark on Vatican leadership

A change of pope doesn’t mean a change of everyone who works at the Vatican. Here are four high-profile men who worked under Pope Benedict XVI and still have a place in the Curia under Pope Francis.

The 74-year-old Swiss cardinal is currently the Vatican's longest-serving head of a dicastery, having taken up his post in July 2010 as prefect of the Pontifical Council (now Dicastery) for Promoting Christian Unity.

The former bishop of Basel was appreciated by the German pontiff for his expertise on ecumenical issues, particularly the delicate dialogue with Protestantism. Under Francis' pontificate, Cardinal Koch accompanied and structured the rapprochement with other Christian Churches, with numerous documents and trips, marking rapprochements with the Orthodox and Protestant worlds.

In particular, he was one of the key figures in the Pope's visit to Sweden in 2016, to mark the fifth centenary of the Lutheran Reformation. And naturally, he also played an important role in Francis’ 2018 trip to Switzerland for a visit to the headquarters of the World Council of Churches in Geneva.

In December 2023, however, the Swiss cardinal distanced himself from the current pontificate's line by openly criticizing the publication of the document Fiducia Supplicans. His concerns about the negative impact of this text on ecumenical relations were confirmed a few weeks later with the Coptic Church's decision to suspend its theological dialogue with the Catholic Church.

Cardinal Koch, who turns 75 on March 15, is expected to be one of the central figures of the coming Holy Year. Next spring, the commemoration of the Council of Nicaea could give rise to a papal visit to Turkey and new signs of rapprochement with the Orthodox world and the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

The 77-year-old Brazilian cardinal, head of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life since 2011, is an atypical figure in that he was promoted by Benedict XVI without being classified as “Ratzingerian.” A member of the Focolare Movement, he is appreciated for his open-mindedness and ability to listen. The then-archbishop of Brasilia was called to the Vatican in the context of a serious crisis between Rome and the LCWR (Leadership Conference of Women Religious), the organization of American nuns, suspected of liberal drift and of not respecting the line of the papal magisterium on ethical issues.

During the 2013 pre-conclave meetings, he spoke out against the hard line promoted by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith against these nuns, and regretted not having been involved in the reflection. He was thus instrumental in the election of a figure critical of the way the Curia operates.

Although not a member of Francis' closest circle, the Brazilian cardinal — who survived a shooting which left him with numerous metal fragments still in his body — has accompanied the reformist line of the first pope from Latin America. Having already passed the age of 75 on April 24, 2022, he may retire imminently.

Benedict XVI appointed Fr. Federico Lombardi to head the Holy See Press Office in 2006, while he also held the post of director of Vatican Radio. Fr. Lombardi (who is Italian but also speaks German) accompanied Benedict XVI's pontificate with an efficiency and humanity appreciated by the German pontiff and journalists alike.

His composure and availability, particularly during the delicate transition phase in February-March 2013 between the German pontiff's resignation and the election of his Argentinian successor, earned him the award for best communicator of the year, presented by German insurer Allianz.

Paradoxically, despite coming from the same Jesuit spiritual family, Pope Francis has relied less on Fr. Lombardi than his predecessor in his relations with the press. In 2016, in the context of the Vatican's difficult media reform, Fr. Lombardi stepped down as director of Vatican Radio and then of the Press Office, but he has continued to fulfil important functions. Notably, Pope Francis entrusted him with the delicate task of coordinating the summit of presidents of bishops' conferences on the sexual abuse of minors, held at the Vatican in 2019.

He also ensures a form of continuity between the two popes through the presidency of the Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Foundation, which he has held for the past eight years. Although he is 82 years old, Fr. Lombardi is keeping this position for the time being and remains active on several other topics, including relations with China and the beatification process for Matteo Ricci.

Pope Francis' official photographer took up his post in 2007, which means he worked with Benedict XVI for more than half a decade. He has accompanied Pope Francis during all his activities since his election on March 13, 2013. More cautious and less news-oriented than his predecessor Arturo Mari — who was threatened with excommunication for trying to force his way into the 1958 conclave, before receiving a pardon from the new Pope John XXIII — Francesco Sforza shows great delicacy in the way he photographs the pope. He knows how to pull back when the pontiff shows signs of fatigue or physical suffering, particularly when he climbs into his popemobile or dons his liturgical vestments.

His loyalty and discretion are as much appreciated by Francis as they were by Benedict XVI. On December 31, 2023, he was one of the few collaborators of the current pope to attend, as a simple faithful member of the congregation, the mass celebrated in St. Peter's Basilica on the first anniversary of the German pontiff's death.