Francis fired back when asked what would happen if a pope was suddenly unable to perform his duties due to health issues or an accident.

According to Francis, this letter of resignation was written several years ago and was delivered to the then Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who resigned in 2013.

“I had already signed my resignation. The secretary of state at the time was Tarcisio Bertone. I signed it and said, ‘If I become disabled for medical or other reasons, that’s my resignation. ‘” Francis said, citing reports. CNNSunday, December 18, 2022.

“I don’t know who Cardinal Bertone gave the letter to, but I gave it to him when he was foreign minister,” Francis said. He added that it was the first time he had spoken publicly about the whereabouts of the letter.

Read also : In weekly audience, Pope Francis prays for victims of Cianjur earthquake

Francis said Popes Paul VI and Saleh XII had also drafted their resignation letters in the event of a permanent breakdown.

86-year-old Francis appears to be in good health, with a slight knee problem. He is often seen walking with a cane and occasionally uses a wheelchair due to pain in his right knee.

Earlier this year, Francis canceled trips to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan for medical reasons. Doctors say Francis may also have to skip his next trip to Canada unless he agrees to undergo 20 days of therapy.

Last year, Francis underwent surgery to remove part of his colon due to diverticulitis.

In 2013, Francis’ predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, took the almost unprecedented step of stepping down from his post citing “old age.”

This event marked the first resignation of a pope in nearly 600 years. The last pope to resign before his death was Gregory XII, who in 1415 resigned to end “civil wars” within the church, in which more than one person claimed to be pope.

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(AIT)