Pope Francis clarified in comments published this Thursday by a Jesuit newspaper that he believes the position he holds is a lifelong one and that Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation was an exception.
“At the moment I don’t have that in my agenda”Francis told Civita Cattolica, in the clearest statement he has made so far this Thursday about his eventual resignation for health reasons.
Justifying the letter of resignation he wrote two months after his election, the pope said it was just a precaution.
“I did this in case I had a health problem that prevented me from exercising my ministry and I was not fully informed and in a position to step down”said the pope to Civita Cattolica.
“However, this by no means means that outgoing popes should become, shall we say, a ‘fashion’, a normal thing”Francis clarified, adding that the papal office must be “ad vitam” (for life).
In previous comments, Francis praised his predecessor Benedict XVI’s decision to step down when he believed he would no longer be able to carry out his duties due to his advanced age.
Benedict XVI died in January, nearly a decade after he resigned as pope.
Pope Francis, aged 86, underwent surgery in 2021 to repair a narrowing of the bowel and suffered severe knee pain that often caused him to use a wheelchair.
Source: DN
