Pope is deceased, seat is vacant…
Papal rules, succession requires Pope to be deceased, ergo, Benedict was still Pope. They can fill it, but they want it vacant for (reasons).
Post 8kun, aka the golden years, this board picked it apart & validated Papal Succession requiring previous pope to die = true. There's a whole ceremony involved, striking the deceased on the head with a silver hammer asking each time if he's dead. Then removing his ring and crushing it. Some disagree but, all I'm saying is if those are the rules, they weren't amended or followed then Francis isn't pope.