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Pope Francis appears to be like on the Christmas tree contained in the Paul VI corridor as he arrives to satisfy with trustworthy throughout an viewers granted to the donors of the Christmas tree and Nativity scene on the Vatican, on Dec. 3, 2022. Pope Francis has revealed in an interview that shortly after being elected pontiff in 2013 he wrote a resignation letter in case medical issues impede him from finishing up duties.
Gregorio Borgia/AP
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Gregorio Borgia/AP
Pope Francis appears to be like on the Christmas tree contained in the Paul VI corridor as he arrives to satisfy with trustworthy throughout an viewers granted to the donors of the Christmas tree and Nativity scene on the Vatican, on Dec. 3, 2022. Pope Francis has revealed in an interview that shortly after being elected pontiff in 2013 he wrote a resignation letter in case medical issues impede him from finishing up duties.
Gregorio Borgia/AP
ROME — Pope Francis has revealed in an interview printed Sunday that shortly after being elected pontiff in 2013 he wrote a resignation letter in case medical issues impede him from finishing up his duties.
Chatting with the Spanish newspaper ABC, Francis stated he gave the notice to Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who then was the Vatican secretary of state. The pontiff added that he presumes that the prelate at the moment in that Vatican No. 2 position, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, now has the written instruction.
Francis, who turned 86 on Saturday, had surgical procedure in 2021 to restore a bowel narrowing and has been hobbled by knee ache that for months noticed him use a wheelchair. Recently, he has more and more used a cane as a substitute of the wheelchair to get round in public.
Requested what occurs if well being points or an accident all of a sudden leaves a pope unable to do his job, and whether or not there needs to be a rule for such situations, Francis replied, “In apply there’s already a rule.”
“I’ve already signed my renunciation,” Francis revealed, noting that he did so early within the papacy.
“I signed it and stated: ‘If I ought to turn into impaired for medical causes or no matter, right here is my resignation. Right here you will have it,'” he stated, referring to Cardinal Bertone, who stepped down as secretary of state in October 2013, within the first months of Francis’ papacy.
The pontiff quipped that now that he has revealed the existence of his resignation notice, “somebody will run as much as Bertone (saying), ‘Give me that piece of paper.'”
Francis stated he was positive Bertone would have handed on the letter to the present secretary of state, Parolin.
In previous remarks, Francis has hailed the choice of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, to resign as a result of he felt on account of advancing age he would not be greatest capable of perform his duties. Benedict, who resides in a monastery on the Vatican’s grounds, was the primary pontiff to resign in 600 years, and his stepping down paved the way in which for Francis’ election as the primary pope from South America.
Francis within the interview performed down his mobility problem, saying “One governs with the pinnacle, not the knee.”
Catholic church legislation requires a papal resignation be “freely and correctly manifested” — as was the case when Benedict startled the world when he introduced his resignation to a gathering of prelates on the Vatican in February 2013.
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