Pope Francis said he signed a letter of resignation in the event that his health problems prevented him from carrying out his duties as leader of the Roman Catholic Church. The revelation took place in an interview with the Spanish newspaper ABC published this Sunday (18).
The pontiff, who turned 86 on Saturday, has reiterated on several occasions that he does not rule out leaving office if his health problems worsen – he suffers from osteoarthritis that affects a ligament in his right knee. He also had part of a lung removed in his youth, suffers from chronic sciatica and had a colon operation in July 2021.
At the time, the statements prompted rumors about a possible Francis resignation, something practically unthinkable before Benedict XVI, now 95 years old, abdicated his duties in 2013, in what represented the first papal resignation in almost 600 years.
The ABC newspaper asked the pontiff if there shouldn’t be a rule for cases in which a pontiff is suddenly prevented from governing, whether due to health problems or due to an accident.
It was then that Francisco responded that he signed his resignation as soon as he was elected. “I signed and said: ‘In case of impediment for medical reasons or whatever, here it is,’ he said, adding that Popes Paul VI (1963-1978) and Pius XII (1939-1958) also left documents of the type . Both died while still in office.
Since the initial rumors of a resignation, however, Francisco’s health appears to have improved. He has made three international trips in the last semester, to Canada, Kazakhstan and Bahrain, and plans to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan early next year.
Asked about his busy schedule despite his mobility issues – he uses a cane for short walks and a wheelchair for longer distances – Francisco joked. “It’s just that he governs himself with his head, not his knee,” he said.
This Sunday, the pope delivered a speech on the fourth and last Sunday of Advent of the year before the traditional Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican. He used the speech to ask those present not to give in to “negative feelings” but to welcome “life’s surprises, including crises, with care.”
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