Since Pope Francis was admitted to the Gemelli hospital in Rome, rumors about a possible resignation have spread.
One of the most widely spread rumors was that before going to the hospital the pontiff left a letter of resignation in case he could not serve as pope. However, the truth is that this letter was already signed in 2013.
In an interview with the Spanish newspaper ABC in 2022, the pope revealed this information. He said that the year he was elected pope he gave Cardinal Bertone, then secretary of state, a missive in which he said he would leave the pontificate “in case of impediment for medical reasons.”
However, this is not a novelty. This has been done by other popes. Paul VI, for example, left a letter in which he expressed his desire to resign in case of incurable illness or for some serious or prolonged impediment.
Francis has spoken openly in his pontificate about the possibility of 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.
Even so, when he has had physical problems such as, for example, knee problems, the pope has reiterated that he governs with his head. And that is precisely what is very well.
This is what one of his doctors said when he met with the press to explain the pope's health conditions in the hospital.
DR. SERGIO ALFIERI
Physician, Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital (Rome)
This morning, when he sat down in his armchair -first news: he is not in bed-, he welcomed us for the visit. We went in and I said: “Good morning, Holy Father! And he, with a mischievous smile, answered me: “Good morning, holy son!”. So you can see how lucid he is.
In any case, should he wish to resign in the future, it is something that is contemplated by the rules of the Church, embodied in the Code of Canon Law, as long as it is freely and formally manifested.
This is what Benedict XVI did in 2013, when he announced his retirement from the Petrine ministry with these words….
POPE BENEDICT XVI
February 13, 2013
After having prayed for a long time and having examined my conscience before God, due to my advanced age, I no longer have the strength to adequately exercise the Petrine ministry.
Each pope's way of understanding service to the Church is different, but equally valid. It was Francis himself who expressed this in 2023 in a meeting with the Jesuits during his trip to Africa.
This does not mean at all that the resignation of pope should become, shall we say, a 'fashion', something normal. Benedict XVI had the courage to do so because he did not have the will to continue because of his health. At the moment I don't have it on my agenda. I believe that the ministry of the pope is for life.
This is what John Paul II did, who exercised the papacy until the end of his days, despite the physical deterioration he suffered due to Parkinson's disease and several periods of hospitalization.
JH
