Pope Francis' health fuels speculation on possible abdication
Pope Francis has been in the hospital for more than two weeks due to pneumonia. The media is increasingly asking questions about his health and the possibility of his abdication. His biographer, Austen Ivereigh, spoke to CNN about when his resignation might occur.
Pope Francis has been staying at the Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome for over two weeks. Doctors are battling bilateral pneumonia. Due to his illness, numerous speculations have arisen. Some observers claim that the Holy Father may follow the path of Benedict XVI and step down from his position due to poor health. His biographer Austen Ivereigh commented.
I think the only circumstances under which he (Francis) would consider resignation, as he has said, would be if he had a long-term degenerative or debilitating condition which prevented him from fully carrying out the papal ministry, he said in an interview with CNN.
Ivereigh explains that the current pope does not want a "truncated pontificate." According to him, a possible resignation could set a precedent, meaning that the pope would step down upon reaching a certain age or due to poor health. The commentator has no doubts that if the pope were to announce his resignation, he would do so at the least expected moment.
Marco Politi, a Vatican commentator and author of a book on Pope Francis' pontificate, suggested that the pope is currently focused on navigating the crisis and ensuring the jubilee is completed. However, as he approaches his 89th birthday, he will need to consider whether he can still lead the Church.
The Catholic Church is celebrating the jubilee associated with the birth of Jesus. In Vatican City, this celebration occurs every 25 years.
Ivereigh emphasises that Pope Francis must decide himself and cannot be subject to compulsion and pressure. In the past, he said that his pontificate would last until the end of his life and that he has no plans to resign. Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican's foreign minister, also stated that the pope wants to return to his duties.
CNN recalls that Benedict XVI resigned on 11 February 2013, during a routine meeting of cardinals. At that time, the clergy were to vote on canonisation matters. The meeting was nearing its end when Joseph Ratzinger announced his decision in Latin. The cardinals were incredulous.
Rumours of Francis' resignation intensified when the pope himself convened a meeting with the cardinals. The date has yet to be determined, but he did so while in the hospital, when the most important hierarchs in the Vatican visited him.
