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 changing into “impaired.”
Francis made the remark in an interview with Spanish information outlet ABC, printed Sunday, when requested what would occur if a pope is all of a sudden rendered unable to carry out his duties attributable to well being points or an accident.
Francis mentioned 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 mentioned: ‘If I ought to grow 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 mentioned, including that this was the primary time he had spoken publicly in regards to the letter’s existence.
Francis mentioned 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 aside from knee issues. He has typically been seen with a strolling stick and generally makes use of a wheelchair attributable to ache in his proper knee.
Earlier this 12 months, he canceled a visit to Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan after medical doctors mentioned 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 12 months, he had surgical procedure to take away a part of his colon attributable to diverticulitis, a standard situation.
In 2013, Francis’ instant predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, made the virtually unprecedented resolution to resign from his place, citing “superior age” as the rationale 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 demise was Gregory XII, who in 1415 stop to finish a civil struggle inside the church by which a couple of man claimed to be pope.