In the wake of the announcement of 21 new cardinals and the entry into force of the broad reform carried out in the Roman Curia, Pope Francis gained the spotlight for a rumor that haunts him from time to time: that he was preparing to resign, following in the footsteps of the predecessor, now Pope Emeritus Benedict 16.
On more than one occasion, the pontiff himself admitted the possibility. Apparently, the gesture by Benedict, the first pope to resign since Gregory 12 (1406-1414), has reopened the precedent for Catholic Church leaders not to view the mission as necessarily for life. And, unlike John Paul II (1920-2005), they should not be forced to languish in public, with old age and eventual diseases exposed globally.
But what fuels speculation that Francis’ retirement may be near are some gestures. In an institution where symbols are very important, any movement tends to be interpreted in layers. And, to the fact that the Argentinian religious, at the age of 85, presents difficulties in locomotion in public appearances, including using a wheelchair, there are curious points.
Together with the August consistory, when the new cardinals will be sworn in, Francis has already scheduled a visit to the Italian city of L’Aquila, to visit the tomb of an illustrious predecessor: Celestino 5º (1215-1296), the first to freely renounce the papacy, in 1294. “To further stimulate speculation, the city was also visited by Benedict XVI shortly before he resigned,” recalls Mirticeli Medeiros, a researcher in the history of Catholicism at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
There is also the strangeness with a consistory scheduled for August, the month of vacation in Italy — in recent years, the cardinals took up their posts in November. For some observers, the decision would indicate some haste. And more: Francis convoked another consistory, extraordinary, two days after the ordinary.
“It will be a super meeting, which has not been held in this modality since 2015. [consistório extraordinário]to deal with the reform of the Roman Curia, which came into force on the 5th”, explains Medeiros.
In a recent text, Italian Vaticanist Andrea Gagliarducci claims that the idea of ​​the extraordinary event may have been a political ploy by the pope to “discuss decisions only after they have already been taken” — in this case, bringing the points of Curia reform to the table. , which simplified processes and dissolved hierarchies, something little consensual among the cardinals, after “freezing the debate” until the end of August.
“Observers even speculated that Francis could end the meeting by announcing his departure, which would be a remarkable gesture, for sending the message that once the term is over, and Pope Francis’ mandate is, above all, Curia reform. , you can step down,” said Gagliarducci.
Medeiros disagrees. “After having followed him for all these years, it’s hard to imagine that he would give that taste to opponents. I prefer to think that he does this to create a pre-conclave atmosphere and to assess whether he really made good choices. would the church articulate in his absence?”
Vice-director of the Lay Center in Rome, Vaticanist Filipe Domingues recalls that “rumors about a possible resignation of Francis arise every two years”. “But he continues to book trips, fulfill schedules, even in a wheelchair. If he was really sick, he could cancel more things”, he says. “I don’t think he’s in a hurry. [para dar esse passo]. To end his pontificate he needs a new factor that does not exist today, and that could be a worsening of his state of health.”
Another consideration made by the expert is that it would be somewhat uncomfortable for the Vatican, the existence of two popes emeritus gravitating around a new occupant of the throne of Peter. In this sense, Francis would not resign before the death of his predecessor. “Having three popes alive would be unprecedented,” says theologian Gerson Leite de Moraes, a professor at Mackenzie Presbyterian University.
If it is up to the cardinals to elect a new pope, in the event of the resignation or death of the current one, the trigger for these August events is precisely the inauguration of the new cardinals appointed by Francis.
As of August 27, the church will have 132 cardinal electors, that is, under the age of 80, from 69 countries. According to a survey carried out by the philosopher and theologian Fernando Altemeyer Junior, of the total number of voters, 83 were nominated by Francisco —38 by Bento 16, and 11 by João Paulo 2º.
Among the new faces, Francis deepened even more the model that became characteristic of his pontificate: unknown names, coming from previously relegated regions. In a future conclave, Europe will continue to be the continent with the greatest electoral weight, but, unlike other times, it is far from having an absolute majority: 40% of the College of Cardinals is formed by Old World prelates, 29% are from the Americas. , 16%, Asians, and 13%, Africans. Oceania represents the remaining 2%.
Whether because of the positions they occupy or their paths, some of the new cardinals have been drawing attention. This is the case of BasÃlio Nascimento, the first cardinal of East Timor. “It was past time, because the country is, in terms of proportion, the most Catholic in Asia”, says Medeiros. “The nation gives the Catholic Church status as a guarantee of freedom, as the institution played a role in the country’s independence process and is recognized as one of the four fronts that contributed to it becoming effective.”
Also noteworthy is Giorgio Marengo, Apostolic Prefect of Mongolia, only 48 years old. “He is at the head of a community of only 1,500 people”, says the Vaticanist, noting that the gesture is in line with the “geopolitics of the forgotten”, a hallmark of Francis’ pontificate. “Making this kind of nomination, in ‘less expressive’ places, was something unthinkable until a while ago.”
Francis will make two new Brazilian cardinals, leaving national representatives with six voters in an eventual conclave. Archbishop of BrasÃlia, Paulo Cezar Costa already circulated with ease through the corridors of the Vatican, integrating commissions and articulating agendas. “The pope identifies with Paulo Cezar and has already been giving him functions of trust. Francis is looking for profiles that present the same vision he has of the church, that is, pastoral, open to the poor and minorities”, says Vaticanist Domingues.
The Archbishop of Manaus, Leonardo Steiner, will be, in the words of Altemeyer Junior, the “cardinal active in the heart of the Amazon”. He is the first Brazilian cardinal to command a diocese in the Amazon region and denotes Francis’ ecological and political concern for the area. “Francis created an ecclesial conference just for the Amazon, considering it a region that deserves special attention”, says Medeiros. “And he doesn’t do this by focusing only on evangelization, but also because of the attacks on the environment and because of the violation of the rights of indigenous peoples, themes that have gained a lot of space in the current pontificate.”
For Medeiros, due to Steiner’s trajectory, his appointment is significant. “No one better to represent Francis than someone capable of guaranteeing mediation between the Amazon and the Vatican.”
Who are some of the other pontiffs who resigned
Clement 1st (92-101): One of the first popes, would have been the first to resign, for reasons that are not clear;
Pontian (230-235): Resigned during the persecution of Christians by Emperor Maximinus;
Marcellinus (296-304): It is not certain whether he abdicated or was deposed after fulfilling the order of Emperor Diocletian to offer sacrifices to pagan gods;
Benedict 5th (964): Accepted to be deposed by Otto I, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, after only a month in office;
Benedict 9th (1032-1045): I leave the post after selling the papacy to Gregory 6th;
Celestine 5th (1294): He spent only five months in the papacy and issued a decree allowing his resignation; he was arrested and died in prison;
Gregory 12 (1406-1415): Resigned to end the Great Schism;
Benedict 16 (2005-2013): Claiming a lack of ‘vigor both of body and spirit’ at age 85, surprised to be the first pope to abdicate in nearly 600 years; 95 years old today, he still lives in the Vatican.
