In an interview with Spanish newspaper, ABC, Pope Francis pointed out that he signed a letter of resignation in 2013, in the case of medical issues or other problems. He said he gave it to the then Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. This is not the first time the Pope has indicated that he would have no problem resigning.
POPE FRANCIS
This is with all honesty. It is not a catastrophe. You can change popes; you can change them. There is no problem with that. But I think I have to limit myself a little bit with these efforts.
During the interview, the Pope also pointed out that he has not worked on defining the status of a pope emeritus. And he explained that he is not making these decisions solely based on his knee problems.
The interviewer asked Pope Francis about those who criticize him, specifically for focusing on people far from the Church and allegedly neglecting those in the Church. The Pope replied that if they feel neglected, they could be feeling like the elder son in the prodigal son parable.
He also said that women will be heads of some Vatican dicasteries. In fact, the Pope announced that he already has one woman in mind who could be a prefect in two years.
During the interview, Pope Francis also discussed the situation of Opus Dei, a Catholic Spanish institution. In July, he asked them to revise their statutes. When asked about this, the Pope said that it was not a punishment but a canonical change.
Pope Francis also had an interview with Italy's Channel 5. In it, he praised the work carried out by Australian Cardinal, George Pell, regarding economic transparency in the Vatican. The Pope also described the cardinal's trial for alleged sexual abuse of minors as 'calumny.' The cardinal spent 13 months in jail until he was acquitted by the High Court of Australia.
JRB
TR: KG
