Pope Francis considered that, although Benedict XVI did so, "this does not mean at all that the resignation of the popes should become something like a fashion."
He said it in a meeting with Jesuits on his recent trip to Africa and the transcript of which was published this Thursday by the magazine of the Society of Jesus,
La Civiltà Cattolica
.
The pontiff made the clarification during a meeting with the Jesuits from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan, who asked him about the issue during his recent visit.
Francis confirmed that, two months after his election, he wrote a letter to the then Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarciso Bertone, with
his resignation in case he has health problems.
"It is true that I wrote my resignation two months after the elections and I delivered this letter to Cardinal Bertone. I do not know where the letter is. I did it in case I have a health problem that prevents me from exercising my ministry and I am not fully aware of resigning ", he clarified.
"However, this does not mean at all that the resignation of the popes should become something like a fashion, something normal. Benedict had the courage to do it because he did not want to go ahead because of his health. This is not on my agenda for the moment", remarked the Argentine pontiff in African lands.
Pope Francis, during the massive mass he led in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on February 1.
Photo: REUTERS
Francis finally visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan between the end of January and the beginning of February, a tour that he had had to postpone last year due to knee problems, which forced him to use a wheelchair.
lifetime tenure
"
I don't have that on the agenda at the moment.
I think the Pope's ministry is ad vitam. I don't see any reason why it shouldn't be like that. Think that the ministry of the great patriarchs is always for life. And the historical tradition is important. If, on the contrary, we listened to the 'gossip', then we should change the Pope every six months!" added Jorge Bergoglio.
Regarding the letter of resignation, he also explained that Pius XII had already done it "as a precaution in the event that Hitler took him to Germany" and "in that case he said that they would capture Eugenio Pacelli and not the pope."
Francis with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, in a 2017 image at the Vatican.
Photo: AP
Francisco also spoke of the position of the superior general of the Society of Jesus, which is for life and was in favor of it continuing to be so.
"Yes, in this I am conservative. It must be for life. But, obviously, the same question arises as regards the Pope. Father Kolvenbach and Father Nicholas, the last two former Superiors General, left him for health reasons. It seems important to me to remember, furthermore, that one of the reasons why the generalship in the Company is for life is to avoid electoral calculations, factions, gossip".
The death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on December 31 once again triggered the hypotheses about a possible resignation of Francisco, now that he would have no impediment, but the Argentine pontiff has recently made it clear that he maintains his plans for the future.
Rumors of a possible resignation have increased since last year due to the mobility problems that the pontiff has been suffering.
He has a knee injury and cannot undergo surgery due to the risks of a new application of general anesthesia, which arose after an operation on the large intestine in 2021.
Source: EFE and ANSA
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