Pope Francis on resignation. 

At a meeting with Jesuits in Africa, the Argentinian pontiff spoke about the resignation in a different way than he used to.

Resignations of popes should not become a “fashion” or a normal thing. The service of the Pope is for life.

This is how Pope Francis expressed himself at the beginning of February at a meeting with Jesuits during his visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Father Antonio Spadaro published the transcript of the interview with 82 Jesuits that took place on February 2 at the Kinshasa Nunciature on the website of La Civiltà Cattolica magazine.

During the discussion with the Jesuits, the Pope was asked if he was considering his resignation, as was mentioned in the media.

“I indeed wrote my resignation two months after my election and I handed this letter to Cardinal Bertone. I don’t know where this letter is. I did it in case I had some health problems that would prevent me from carrying out my ministry and I would not be fully conscious so that I could resign,” the Pope recalled at the beginning of the fact, which he said for the first time last December for the Spanish newspaper.

Then he continued:

“However, this does not mean at all that the resignation of popes should become, let’s say, a ‘fashion’, a normal thing. Benedict dared to do it because he didn’t feel up to continuing because of his health,” Francis said.

According to him, this is “not on the agenda at the moment. I am convinced that the ministry of the Pope is ad vitam. I see no reason why it shouldn’t be. Consider that the service of the great patriarchs is always for life. And the historical tradition is important”.  

However, when, according to the Pope, we instead listen to various “speeches”, then “we should change the Pope every six months!”

In the past, he spoke a little differently about his resignation

Reuters notes that the pope’s words from a meeting with African Jesuits differ from previous statements, in which Francis said longer life expectancy and improved medicine could turn retired popes into institutions in the church.

After returning from Canada last July, František said advancing age and illnesses, including knee problems that force him to use a cane and a wheelchair, made him realize he had to slow down “or decide to step down.” In August, he again said that the popes who resign are humble.

In 2014, Francis said that Benedict’s resignation should not be considered a “unique case” and that the German pope’s resignation opened the door to the institution of pope emeritus.

In mid-July of last year, the Argentine pope described very specifically his idea of ​​how he could operate if he one day decides to step down.

He stated that he would like to be considered an emeritus bishop of Rome rather than a pope. “If I live to resign, I would like to devote this time to confessing the faithful and visiting the sick in some Italian parish,” he told the Mexican television station Televisa.

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The position of Pope Emeritus is awaiting legislative clarification. Bergoglio seems to disagree with Ratzinger’s approach.

At the meeting with the Jesuits in Africa, the Pope also commented on the wars in the world. According to him, the whole world is at war.

“Syria has been at war for 12 years, then Yemen, Myanmar with the Rohingya drama. There are also tensions and conflicts in Latin America. And then this war in Ukraine,” said the pontiff.

In his own words, he asks himself if humanity will have the courage, strength, or even the ability to turn back. “I don’t know: that’s the question I’m asking myself. I’m sorry to say it, but I’m a bit of a pessimist.’