Pope Francis revealed in a latest interview published Sunday that after his 2013 election, he signed a resignation that will be used if serious and everlasting health problems ever prevented him from fulfilling his duties.
Francis, who turned 86 on Saturday and appears to be in good health apart from a knee problem, he commented in an interview with Spanish newspaper ABC.
Francis said he handed the letter to the then Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who was a remnant of Benedict XVI’s previous pontificate. Bertone remained in office for about six months after Francis was elected on March 13, 2013.
Francis has often said that he would resign if his health prevented him from leading the 1.3 billion-member Roman Catholic Church.
Francis was asked if he thought an official norm must be established for cases where health problems or an accident prevented the pope.
“I even have already signed my resignation. Tarcisio Bertone was Secretary of State. I signed it and told him, “Within the event of medical or other obstacles, here is my resignation,” Francis is quoted as saying.
![Pope Francis was confined to a wheelchair due to a knee problem.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/2022-12-14T093722Z_1348496781_RC2K5Y9G5M0J_RTRMADP_3_POPE-AUDIENCE.jpg?w=1024)
“You have it. I do not know who Cardinal Bertone can have given it to, but I gave it to him when he was secretary of state,” Francis said, adding that he was revealing it publicly for the primary time.
in interview with Reuters in July, Francis dismissed speculation that his resignation was imminent and reiterated his oft-repeated stance that he might resign sooner or later if unwell health prevented him from leading the Church – something that was almost unthinkable prior to the resignation of Benedict XVI, now 95 years old , in 2013. It was the primary papal resignation in six centuries.
Since July, Francis has made three international trips – to Canada, Kazakhstan and Bahrain – and plans to visit Democrats Republic of the Congo and South Sudan January 31-February 5.
![Pope Francis celebrated his 86th birthday at the Vatican on Saturday.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/2022-12-17T123234Z_221859166_RC2M7Y96W7GK_RTRMADP_3_POPE-BIRTHDAY.jpg?w=1024)
He was supposed to make this trip last July, but knee problems forced it to be postponed. She now uses a cane for brief walks and a wheelchair for longer distances indoors.
In an interview with ABC, Francis said he believed Pope Paul VI (1963-1978) and Pope Pius XII (1939-1958) had signed similar letters of resignation. Nonetheless, each popes died while in office.