Latest news, international – Pope Francis revealed in a new interview published on Sunday (12/18/22) that after he was elected in 2013, he signed a letter of resignation to be used in case serious and permanent health problems prevent him from returning. perform his duties.
Francis, who turns 86 on Saturday and appears to be in good health except for a sore knee, shared the story in an interview with a Spanish newspaper. ABC.
Francis said he delivered the letter to Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who is a holdover from Benedict XVI’s previous papacy.
Bertone remained in office for about six months after Francis was elected on March 13, 2013.
Francis has often said he would quit if his health prevented him from leading the Roman Catholic Church of 1.3 billion people.
Francis was also asked if he believes formal standards should be established for when health issues or accidents bother a pope.
“I signed my resignation. Tarcisio Bertone is foreign minister. I signed it and told him: ‘In case of obstruction for medical or other reasons, it is my resignation'”, reportedly said Frances. Reuters.
“You have it. I don’t know who Cardinal Bertone might have given it to, but I gave it to when he was foreign minister,” Francis said, adding that he was making it public for the first time. .
In an interview with Reuters in July, Francis dismissed speculative reports that his resignation was imminent and reiterated his oft-expressed position that he might resign one day if his ill health prevented him from carrying out his duties in the Church – which would have been almost unthinkable before the present age. Benedict XVI, 95, resigned in 2013.
It was the first papal abdication in six centuries.
Since July, Francis has made three international trips to Canada, Kazakhstan and Bahrain and plans to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan from January 31 to February 5.
He was supposed to make the trip last July, but his knee problems forced him to delay it.
He now uses a cane for short walks and a wheelchair for longer distances indoors.
In an interview with the ABC, Francis said he believed Pope Paul VI (1963-1978) and Pope Pius XII (1939-1958) signed similar letters of resignation. However, both popes died in office.
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