Pope Francis: Benedict's death was used by partisans to 'score points'

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s death was used by people in a self-serving way to “score points”, Pope Francis said on Sunday.

During a press conference on the papal plane returning from South Sudan, Pope Francis said he thought that his predecessor’s death was “instrumentalised by people who want to serve their own interests” by setting the pope and the pope emeritus against each other.  

He said that “people who instrumentalise such a good person, so close to God I would almost say…they are people who belong to a party, not to the Church”.