García Magán, spokesman for bishops: “The conditions of fact of a resignation of the Pope are not being given”

The Pope’s health is currently the priority issue for the Catholic Church, and the faithful remain attentive to both their evolution and the consequences that are derived from it. Also for Spanish prelates, which this week have met in the Permanent Commission of the Episcopal Conference, Francisco’s situation «has been very presentboth by the bishops in their dioceses, and together in the permanent one, ”explained César García Magán, general secretary and spokesman for the Episcopate, at a press conference in which he has reported on the development of the meeting.

Also, to questions from journalists, he has addressed the question of the renunciation of the pontiff. García Magán, who is a doctor in Canon Law, explained that “the resignation of the Pope is provided for in the Church legislation, specifically in Canon 332, paragraph 2, which says textually: ‘If the Roman Pontiff renounced his trade, it is required for the validity that the resignation is free and manifests formally, but not that he is accepted by anyone’». In addition, he pointed out that «it would no longer be novelty, because, forever, It is a path that Benedict XVI opened and began with his resignation ».

In addition, García Magán also recalled that Pope Francis “has said publicly that in 2013 he had signed a resignation, say preventively, and had given it to the then Secretary of State, Cardinal Bertone.” The Bishop spokesman referred to the interview that Pope Francis granted ABC in December 2022 And, in fact, he has literally read the Pontiff’s response to the newspaper: «I signed it and said: ‘In case of impediment for medical issues or what I know, here is my resignation. They already have it ‘». García Magán also recalled that when Cardinal Bertone retired, he gave that letter to his successor, Cardinal Parolin.

«Now, if you ask me if this condition is being given, for the code or by the letter, then I would say that it is not clearly. These conditions are not being givenbecause that impediment referred to by the Pope was when he is linked to a mental limitation and what the Pope has are age diseases, ”he argued. “As the Pope has said many times, the Church governs with its head and not with the knees … and with the help of the Holy Spirit, it would be more,” he concluded.