The Pope has also publicly praised an Italian prelate, a recent newcomer to the College of Cardinals, 70-year-old Milanese Biblical scholar Gianfranco Ravasi - thus, according to Vatican insiders, endorsing him as a possible successor.

BBC: Decoding the Papacy: Benedict XVI's cryptic frustration

Cardinal Ravasi was chosen by the Pope to lead a six-day traditional Lenten retreat inside the Apostolic Palace during which the Pope each year cancels all public engagements and remains closeted for a period of spiritual meditation among his closest advisers.

BBC: Decoding the Papacy: Benedict XVI's cryptic frustration