Pope Francis said that, in the event that he is unable to continue governing the Catholic Church due to a medical impediment, he has already signed his resignation and handed it over to one of the Vatican cardinals.
During an interview with the Spanish newspaper ABC, Bergoglio answered the question of what would happen “if a pontiff were suddenly disabled due to health problems or an accident”. “I have already signed my resignation,” he replied, adding that he did so when Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone was the Vatican Secretary of State.
“I signed it and told them ‘In case of impediment for health or other reasons, here is my resignation’. They already have them. I don’t know who Cardinal Bertone gave them to, but I gave them to him when he was Secretary of State,” he said.
“It’s the first time I’ve said it”, underlined Bergoglio, and then with his usual irony, he added: “That’s why I’m saying it. Now someone will go and ask Bertone: ‘Give me the piece of paper!’. Probably he handed it over to Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the new Secretary of State”.
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