In a recent interview, Pope Francis disclosed that he had originally signed the letter of resignation, which would be utilized if he became “damaged.”
When questioned about what would happen if a pope were to abruptly become able to fully carry out his responsibilities owing to illness or an incident, Francis remarked in an interview with Spanish news published on Sunday.
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who retired as Vatican Secretary of State in 2013, received the letter from Francis, who claimed to have written it many years ago.
“I have already signed my renunciation. The Secretary of State at the time was Tarcisio Bertone. I signed it and said: ‘If I should become impaired for medical reasons or whatever, here is my renunciation,’” Francis said.
“I don’t know who Cardinal Bertone has given that letter to, but I handed it to him when he was the Secretary of State,” Francis stated. He added that it was the first time he had publicly discussed the letter.
Francis said that former popes Paul VI and Pius XII had also written their letters of resignation in the case of persistent incapacity.
Why He Resigned?
Besides knee issues, Francis, 86, appears to be in terrific health. Because of discomfort in his right knee, he frequently utilizes a wheelchair and may be seen doing so.
He postponed a trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan earlier this year after physicians warned him that if he didn’t agree to 20 additional days of rehabilitation and treatment for his right knee, he could also have to forgo a later trip to Canada.
He had surgery to have a portion of his colon last year because of diverticulitis.
Pope Benedict XVI, Francis’ immediate predecessor, shocked the Catholic world in 2013 by announcing his resignation from the role of the pontiff and claiming “advanced age” as the reason.
Since roughly 600 years ago, a pope hadn’t resigned before. Gregory XII, the last pope to resign before his death, did so in 1415 to end a civil war in which multiple people aspired to be the church’s leader.
