Pope orders Gaenswein’s return.

Pope Francis has instructed Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, the former personal secretary of Pope Benedict, to return to his home country of Germany by the end of the month without any new responsibilities. The Vatican made this announcement in a statement on Thursday, effectively putting an end to speculations about Gaenswein’s future role in the Church. Gaenswein, who had been a prominent figure in the Vatican for over a decade before his falling out with Pope Francis, is 66 years old, and it is highly unusual for someone of his relatively young age and position to be left without any assignment, making the Pope’s decision seem like a form of exile.

According to the brief statement, Pope Francis has “decided” that Gaenswein, who is 66 years old, should return to his diocese of Freiburg “for the time being.” In the past, most papal secretaries were either appointed as bishops, cardinals, or given other high-profile positions. Gaenswein is nine years away from the typical retirement age of 75 for bishops.

Speculation had been circulating in Catholic media about Gaenswein’s hopes of being assigned a diplomatic role as an ambassador, known as a nuncio, to a country. He has had several meetings with Pope Francis in recent months regarding his future, but he did not respond immediately to requests for comments on the matter.