Francis, who turned 86 on Saturday, had surgical procedure in 2021 to restore a bowel narrowing and has been hobbled by knee ache that for months noticed him use a wheelchair. Lately, he has more and more used a cane as an alternative of the wheelchair to get round in public.
Asked what occurs if well being points or an accident abruptly leaves a pope unable to do his job, and whether or not there must be a rule for such cases, Francis replied, “In practice there is already a rule.”
“I’ve already signed my renunciation,” Francis revealed, noting that he did so early in the papacy.
“I signed it and stated: ‘If I should become impaired for medical reasons or whatever, here is my resignation. Here you have it,’” he said, referring to Cardinal Bertone, who stepped down as secretary of state in October 2013, in the first months of Francis’ papacy.
The pontiff quipped that now that he has revealed the existence of his resignation note, “someone will run up to Bertone (saying), ‘Give me that piece of paper.’”
Francis said he was sure Bertone would have passed on the letter to the current secretary of state, Parolin.
Francis in the interview played down his mobility challenge, saying “One governs with the head, not the knee.”
Catholic church regulation requires a papal resignation be “freely and properly manifested” — as was the case when Benedict startled the world when he introduced his resignation to a gathering of prelates on the Vatican in February 2013.
