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Pope Francis at a mass in the Vatican
Photo: Evandro Inetti / dpa
Recently there have been repeated rumors about possible resignation plans by Pope Francis, which the 85-year-old has repeatedly denied.
However, he has now commented on how things could go on for him in such a case.
He would then not stay in the Vatican, said the head of the Catholic Church in an interview with the Mexican-US TV station Televisa Univision.
He would not return to his home country of Argentina either.
Instead, he would want to live in Rome, Francis said.
He pointed out that in this case he would be the “retired bishop of Rome”.
He wants to serve people again, for example visiting the sick or taking confessions.
"If I survive to resign - it's possible that I die before that - I would like something like that," the Argentine continued.
Unlike his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI.
Francis would therefore not call himself "papa emerito", i.e. Pope Emeritus, but only "Bishop Emeritus of Rome".
However, he is currently not considering resigning, Francis emphasized again.
But he praised Benedict XVI, who resigned his pontificate in 2013 and continues to live in the Vatican at the age of 95.
“The example that Pope Benedict gave us was great,” said the pontiff.
He hopes that it will help him one day when he can no longer do it or is an obstacle.
»I have great sympathy for Pope Benedict.«
lmd/bbr/AP/dpa