Farewell to Pope Benedict and His Rumored Secret Boyfriend (A Handsome Young Archbishop)

When the Pope officially drops the mic and resigns today, he will give up a lot of things: His snazzy red shoes. His shiny gold ring. His swanky apartment in the papal palace.

One thing the Pope will not give up, though, is his alleged secret boyfriend: personal secretary Archbishop Georg Gänswein.

Gänswein, 56, is a German chaplain, dubbed "Gorgeous Georg" by the press on account of his movie star good looks and his "E"-less first name. He inspired Versace's "Clergyman Collection" in 2007. He was featured on the cover of Italian Vanity Fair this past January. He's been the pope's private secretary since 2005, and the two have breakfast, lunch, dinner, and naptime (and in between times) together every day.

Asked once if he ever feels nervous hanging out with the Catholic Church's most important living figure, Gänswein replied that he and the Pope have, over the years, developed a sense of "familiarity." He then conceded, "There are always some situations, however, when the heart beats a little stronger than usual."

They'll continue living together after Pope Benedict retires, too: first in the pope's summer residence; later in a converted monastery located in the Vatican Gardens. In a twist some have found odd, Gänswein will keep his position as head of the new pope's household. Who will he have breakfast with? Where will naptime occur? Do you even want to be my roommate? I feel like I never see you anymore. Oh, the fights they'll have.

While theories regarding an alleged love affair between the pope and his secretary have been floating around for years, no one has produced any evidence that such a relationship, if it exists, ever became physical.

In honor of the love that might have been—that might still be—that dare not speak its name, we've created a little internet scrapbook dedicated to the Vatican's hottest couple.