Quo Vadis

Feb 18, 2023

In this video we share Pope Francis on the Resignation of Popes.

For as long as Pope Francis has been in the Chair of Peter, Vatican-watchers have asked whether the Holy Father will eventually follow his predecessor’s lead, and resign the papacy, as did Benedict XVI.

Pope Francis has always left open the possibility of his resignation but seems to be dismissing that as an option for him. .

Pope Francis addressed the question of whether he will resign the papacy in two conversations with Jesuit priests in Africa this month.

“I believe that the pope’s ministry is ‘ad vitam’ (for life).

I see no reason why it should not be so, ” the pope said February 2 during a private conversation with fellow Jesuits in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Pope Francis met the group of priests at the apostolic nunciature in Kinshasa, where he was staying during his January 31 to February 3 visit to the D R C.

The conversations were reported in the Jesuit-run journal La Civiltà Cattolica.

The pope, repeating information he had revealed in a prior interview, said that he signed a resignation letter two months after his election as pope in case he should become incapacitated.

He said he gave the letter to Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican’s secretary of state at the time, but he does not know now where the letter is.

“However, this does not at all mean that resigning popes should become, let’s say, ‘the fashion, ’ a normal thing. Benedict had the courage to do it because he did not feel like going on because of his health. I for the moment do not have that on my agenda, ” he said.

“Think that the ministry of the great patriarchs is always for life, ” he added. “And the historical tradition is important. ”

Pope Francis also said that if the Church listened to the gossip it should change popes every six months.

The pope again addressed the question of his possible resignation in a meeting with Jesuit priests in South Sudan, which he visited February 3 to 5.

The encounter with 11 Jesuits serving in the east African country took place on February 4 in Juba.

Francis told the group that “no, resignation didn’t cross my mind. ”

He mentioned again the letter he signed in case his health should deteriorate to a point he could not resign and pointed to the resignation letter Venerable Pope Pius XII prepared in case he should be kidnapped by Hitler.

But now that Benedict XVI has died - and with Pope Francis facing some health problems at age 86 - discussion about the prospect of another papal resignation is likely sure to continue.

Please support my channel by viewing another video!

Original text from: Catholic News Agency

Mirrored from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIEMPec3YCY