VOA新闻杂志2023 罗马天主教会或为退休教皇制定新规定（在线收听）

Pope Benedict, the retired leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died December 31.

罗马天主教会退休领袖本笃十六世于12月31日去世。

He became Pope in 2005 and retired from the position in 2013.

他于2005年成为教皇，并于2013年退休。

Most popes serve until they die.

大多数教皇任职至死。

There are not many rules or traditions in place concerning retired popes.

有关退休教皇的规定或传统并不多。

Benedict was the first pope to retire in 600 years.

本笃十六世是600年来第一位宣布退休的教皇。

Benedict took the title Pope Emeritus upon retirement.

本笃十六世在退休后获得了荣誉教皇的头衔。

But, that led to some confusion among Roman Catholics over the next ten years.

但是，这在接下来的十年里却给罗马天主教徒带来了一些困惑。

Followers wondered if they should honor official messages from Benedict as a new pope, Francis, was leading the Church.

信徒们想知道，当新教皇方济各领导教会时，他们是否应该尊重本笃十六世的官方信息。

Some were unsure about who was in charge: the pope or the pope emeritus?

有些人不确定谁在掌权：是教皇还是荣休教皇？

With the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the question has been answered.

随着荣休教皇本笃十六世的逝世，这个问题得到了解答。

The Church's press office released a two-sentence announcement.

教会新闻办公室发布了一份两句话的声明。

No one rang the bells at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, as would have been done with a serving pope.

没有人在梵蒂冈城的圣彼得大教堂敲钟，这是在任教皇应该做的事。

There was no official live statement to followers outside the basilica either.

大教堂外也没有向教徒发表正式的现场声明。

The Vatican response makes clear that Benedict stopped being pope upon retirement.

梵蒂冈的回应明确表示，本笃十六世在退休后不再担任教皇。

Experts say the death announcement was more like those that come with the death of other clergy, such as bishops.

专家表示，他的死讯更像是主教等其他神职人员去世时发布的消息。

Benedict is getting some important honors, however.

然而，本笃十六世获得了一些重要的荣誉。

For example, he is lying in state for three days inside St. Peter's Basilica.

例如，他将在圣彼得大教堂内受人瞻仰三天。

He is wearing the red robes of a pope for lying in state and the burial.

他穿着教皇的红色长袍供人瞻仰。

Many thousands of visitors have paid their respects to Benedict there already.

成千上万的参观者已经在那里向本笃十六世表达了敬意。

Pope Francis will lead Benedict's funeral on Thursday.

教皇方济各将于周四主持本笃十六世的葬礼。

The Vatican says the service will be simple.

梵蒂冈表示，葬礼很简单。

It invited delegations only from Germany and Italy to attend.

它只邀请了德国和意大利的代表团参加。

When a serving pope dies, the entire international community is invited to send delegates.

当在任教皇去世时，会邀请整个国际社会派代表前往参加葬礼。

After the funeral, Roman Catholic Church leaders will start to think about some rules for future popes who decide to retire.

葬礼结束后，罗马天主教会领袖将会开始考虑为决定退休的未来教皇制定一些规则。

Some wonder if Pope Francis will make new rules for retired popes.

有些人想知道教皇方济各是否会为退休的教皇制定新规则。

Perhaps Francis himself will think about retiring.

也许方济各本人也会考虑退休。

Pope Francis said Benedict was "saintly and discreet" as pope emeritus.

教皇方济各表示，作为荣休教皇，本笃十六世“圣洁而谨慎”。

He said those qualities enabled Benedict to carry out retired life in a good way.

他说，这些品质使本笃十六世能够很好地过退休生活。

But Francis also said there should be some rules to guide future retirements.

但方济各也表示，应该有一些规则来指导未来教皇的退休事宜。

One likely change is to bar use of the title Pope Emeritus.

其中一个可能的改革是禁止使用荣休教皇的头衔。

In 2021, lawyers who are experts in the workings of the Roman Catholic Church started a project to think about papal retirement.

2021年，专门研究罗马天主教会运作方式的律师启动了一个研究教皇退休问题的项目。

Among the proposals they produced was a new title for retirees: "bishop emeritus of Rome."

在他们提出的建议中，有一个为退休教皇设立的新头衔：“罗马荣誉主教”。

They also suggested a retired pope should not wear or use traditional clothing or objects used by a serving pope.

他们还建议退休的教皇不应该穿或使用在任教皇使用的传统服装或物品。

The retired pope, the group said, should support the Catholic Church but not take part in high-level church meetings.

该组织表示，退休的教皇应该支持天主教会，但不应该参加教会的高层会议。

Such actions might help avoid problems and confusion, especially when a serving pope and retired pope disagree on issues.

此类措施可能有助于避免问题和混乱，尤其是在现任教皇和退休教皇在问题上存在分歧的情况下。

Geraldina Boni is a professor of religious law at the University of Bologna who is part of the group.

Geraldina Boni是博洛尼亚大学的宗教法教授，也是该组织的一员。

She said she thinks "appropriate ways will be found," so that followers are not confused.

她说，她认为“会找到合适的方法”，这样教徒就不会感到困惑。

Boni said the group was criticized for coming together in 2021.

Boni说，该组织因在2021年聚集在一起而受到批评。

But, she said the need for rules about retirement "has been affirmed by high-level church" officials.

但是，她说，有关制定退休规定的必要性“已经得到了教会高级官员的肯定”。

No one knows if the Vatican will consider the group's ideas.

没有人知道梵蒂冈是否会考虑该组织的主意。

One observer, however, thinks Francis will now find it easier to think about his own retirement since Benedict set an example.

然而，一位观察人士认为，自从本笃十六世树立了榜样，方济各现在会发现考虑自己的退休问题变得更容易。

Luis Badilla runs a blog that covers the Vatican called Il Sismografo.

路易斯·巴迪拉管理着一个名为Il Sismografo的博客，专门报道梵蒂冈的情况。

"We have to get used to the idea that popes will live long lives and that, in the end, just like my grandfather or your grandfather and everyone's grandfathers, they can't continue," he said.

他说：“我们必须习惯这样一种观念，即教皇会长寿，但最终，就像我的祖父、你的祖父以及所有人的祖父一样，他们无法继续活下去。”

"But they are still part of the family, and this is something beautiful. It gives us a normal church, not a Martian or other-worldly one."

“但他们仍然是家庭的一部分，这是一件美好的事情。它给了我们一个正常的教堂，而不是火星上的或超世俗的教堂。”

I'm Dan Friedell. And I'm Mario Ritter, Jr.

丹·弗里德尔、小马里奥·里特为您共同播报。