World
Pope says critics exploiting Benedict's death

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE: Pope Francis on Sunday accused some of his critics of taking advantage of retired pontiff Benedict 16th's death to score ideological points in the latest salvo in the partisan divide of the Catholic Church.

During an airborne news conference returning from South Sudan, Francis was asked about the criticism that accelerated after the December 31 death of Benedict, who lived in the Vatican as pope emeritus alongside Francis for the first 10 years of his pontificate.

FRANK DISCUSSION Pope Francis raises his hands during an airborne news conference aboard the papal plane en route to Rome at the end of his pastoral visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. AP PHOTO