Pope Francis Signed a letter of resignation in 2013 to be used in case he was forced from his duties as a result of poor health.
“I have already signed my dismissal. Tarcisio Bertone was State Secretary. I signed it and I told him:” In case of hindrance for medical reasons or whatever, here is my dismissal, “said the pope during an interview from 2022, According to an interview in 2022, according to a report at the time of the New York Post.
The interview that has surfaced again is because Francis has been admitted to the hospital for more than a week and was reportedly in a critical condition after an asthmatic breathing crisis On Saturday, according to a report from The Associated Press.
Pope Francis had a peaceful night’s rest in the hospital after breathing crisis, says Vatican
Pope Francis speaks during the weekly general public in the Paul VI Hall on 12 February 2025 in Vatican City. (Vatican media via Vatican Pool/Getty images)
Francis also received blood transfusions after tests revealed that he had a low number of platelets, according to a Reuters report.
Francis, who became 88 in December, has long been confronted with questions about what he would do if health problems would not enable him to perform his duties. Such questions would have been unheard of before 2013, when Pope Benedict XVI resigned and became the first papal dismissal in more than 600 years.
During the 2022 interview, Francis revealed that he gave his letter of resignation to the State Secretary for the Vatican, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, a remnant of Benedict XVI, about six months after he was chosen in the Pausdom in March 2013.
Pope Franciscus delivers his homily during the weekly general public in the Paul VI Hall on 12 February 2025 in Vatican City. (Reuters/Ciro de Luca/File photo)
Pope Francis shares a written message during the continuous hospitalization
“You have it. I don’t know who Cardinal Bertone may have given it, but I gave him when he was a state secretary,” Francis said at the time.
While Francis continued his hospitalization in Rome On Sunday he shared a message and thanked those who kept him in their prayers during his health struggle.
“I recently received many messages of affection and I was particularly struck by the letters and drawings of children,” Paus Francis posted on X Sunday. “Thank you for your proximity, and for the comforting prayers that I have received from all over the world!”
Pope Francis greets people during the weekly general public on January 10, 2024 in Vatican City. (Vatican media via Vatican Pool/Getty images)
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“I insist on continuing your apostolate with joy and being a sign of a love that embraces everyone, as the #Gospeloftheday suggests,” said another post. “Can we convert evil into goodness and build a fraternal world. Don’t be afraid to take risks for love!”
