Rome
CNN
—
Pope Francis has revealed in a brand new interview that he has already signed his resignation letter for use within the occasion of him turning into “impaired.”
Francis made the remark in an interview with Spanish information outlet ABC, revealed Sunday, when requested what would occur if a pope is out of the blue rendered unable to carry out his duties because of well being points or an accident.
Francis stated he wrote the letter a number of years in the past and gave it to then-Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who resigned in 2013.
“I’ve already signed my renunciation. The Secretary of State on the time was Tarcisio Bertone. I signed it and stated: ‘If I ought to turn out to be impaired for medical causes or no matter, right here is my renunciation,’” Francis was quoted as saying.
“I don’t know who Cardinal Bertone has provided that letter to, however I handed it to him when he was the Secretary of State,” Francis stated, including that this was the primary time he had spoken publicly in regards to the letter’s existence.
Francis stated previous pontiffs Paul VI and Pious XII had additionally drafted their letters of renunciation within the occasion of a everlasting impairment.
Francis, 86, seems to be in good well being other than knee issues. He has typically been seen with a strolling stick and typically makes use of a wheelchair because of ache in his proper knee.
Earlier this yr, he canceled a visit to Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan after docs stated he may additionally should miss a later journey to Canada until he agreed to have 20 extra days of remedy and relaxation for his proper knee.
Final yr, he had surgical procedure to take away a part of his colon because of diverticulitis, a standard situation.
In 2013, Francis’ fast predecessor, Pope Benedict, made the virtually unprecedented choice to resign from his place, citing the rationale as “superior age” and startling the Catholic world.
It marked the primary time a pope had stepped down in practically 600 years. The final pope to step down earlier than his dying was Gregory XII, who in 1415 give up to finish a civil conflict throughout the church through which multiple man claimed to be pope.
