There are events that seem destined to dissolve in time. Others, however, continue to resurface with force, fuelled by new documents, investigations and judicial developments. This is what is happening around the Declaratio of Pope Benedict XVI and the question of his renunciation of the pontificate, a topic that has divided canon law scholars, ecclesiastical observers and the faithful for years.

In recent weeks, a new hearing before the Promoter of Justice of the Tribunal of the State of Vatican City has brought attention back to a matter which, according to the authors of the petitions submitted, would be far from concluded.

The petition aimed at reopening everything for discussion

On June 6, 2024, journalist Andrea Cionci, who has long promoted the thesis that Pope Ratzinger was never an abdicator but rather confined in a «sede totalmente impedita», filed a substantial petition of approximately 150 pages with the Vatican Tribunal, requesting recognition of the alleged nullity of Pope Benedict XVI's abdication.

The document is structured in three main sections:

  • the alleged non-existence of the canonical act;

  • the presumed nullity of the Declaratio as a canonical-administrative act, arguing that there was no renunciation of the Munus Petrino;

  • a third section dedicated to the theme of the Sede totalmente impedita, in which numerous legal and canonical arguments are developed.

According to the drafters of the petition, precisely this latter section would represent the heart of the entire reconstruction.

The theses contained in the third section

The document recalls various elements which, according to the signatories, should be read as part of a unitary framework.

Among these are:

  • the preparation, attributed to Saint John Paul II and Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, of normative and legal instruments intended to address a potential situation of impediment to the Apostolic See;

  • the amendment of the Code of Canon Law of 1983, with the introduction of the term Munus in the canon concerning the renunciation of the Pontiff;

  • the promulgation of the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis in 1996;

  • reference to the so-called «Mordkomplott», that is, the thesis according to which in 2012 there was an alleged assassination attempt against Benedict XVI during his apostolic journey to Mexico and Cuba;

  • what the authors define as a manipulation of the translations of the Declaratio, arguing that in the major languages the distinction between Munus and Ministerium was equated, whereas in the German translation it was necessary to intervene on the terms Amt and Dienst, which have distinct meanings;

  • the presentation of a translation from Latin to Italian prepared by professor Gian Matteo Corrias, subsequently confirmed, according to what is stated in the petition, by professors Rodolfo Funari and Musetti Casaretto.

These are interpretations that form the foundation of the request made to the Tribunal and which are not, at present, established in judicial proceedings.

The discovery that changes the framework of the petition

On February 13, 2025, Andrea Cionci filed an integration of approximately 50 pages, presented as the fruit of a new legal elaboration.

According to what is maintained by lawyers Costanza Settesoldi and Roberto Antonacci, together with professors Corrias and Munari, the Declaratio should not be interpreted as a simple administrative act of renunciation, but rather as a decisory and jurisdictional measure, intended therefore to have autonomous legal effects.

A thesis summarized in the formula: «Declaratio = Decisio».

According to this framework, the document should be put into execution, opening scenarios completely different from the traditional interpretation.

Four hours before Vatican magistrates

On April 12, 2025, Andrea Cionci was heard as a person informed of the facts by the Promoter of Justice, professor Alessandro Diddi, together with other magistrates of the Vatican Tribunal.

The hearing reportedly lasted approximately four hours, a sign, according to supporters of the initiative, of the attention with which the documentation was examined.

The investigations are still ongoing

A particularly significant development came on March 30, 2026.

Following a formal request for access to documents submitted by Cionci, the Promoter of Justice responded with a registered letter, rejecting the petition with clear reasoning: the investigations are still ongoing.

A circumstance that confirms the existence of an instructional proceeding still not concluded, without however anticipating its outcomes.

Statements by the Promoter of Justice

On May 21, 2026, the Catholic website UCCR published an interview with professor Alessandro Diddi.

In the interview, the Promoter of Justice declared the intention to address the matter with the utmost seriousness, suggesting that the file would be nearing conclusion.

A few days earlier, on April 13, 2026, Canadian publisher John-Henry Westen, through LifeSiteNews, had published the official response of March 30 regarding the denial of access to documents.

The new summons of August 3, 2026

The latest chapter was written on August 3, 2026 when Andrea Cionci was again summoned to the Tribunal of the State of Vatican City and heard by the Promoter of Justice for approximately two hours.

During the hearing, a third integration was filed, composed of another approximately 50 pages, intended to further enrich the file already under examination by the Vatican judiciary.

An affair that continues to raise questions

Beyond the various interpretations and positions that have animated the debate for years, one objective fact remains: the documentation presented by Cionci has been the subject of discussions with the Vatican Tribunal and, according to the official response of March 2026, investigations were still ongoing whose outcome will be the exclusive responsibility of the competent authorities.

Meanwhile, one question continues to traverse the Catholic world and canon law scholars: has the story of Benedict XVI's Declaratio truly had its final say, or are there still aspects destined to emerge?

Only future developments will be able to offer a definitive answer to one of the most discussed and complex events in recent Church history.

Andrea Caldart

Gianfranco Colella