He does not think about resigning, certainly not for now. Francis cuts short in an interview on Mexican TV, but if he were to take this step he would not call himself “Pope Emeritus” or dress the white cassock, he would not live in the Vatican or return to his native Argentina. He would be – he says – a simple “bishop emeritus of Rome” and he would like to find a church in the capital where he can continue to confess the faithful and visit the sick. A shepherd’s life, in short, the one he has always loved.
The prospect of “renunciation” rules (but not for now)
Strong words that reopen a delicate chapter on Ratzinger: Francis has always denied wanting to codify the “renunciation”, at least as long as the situation remains the current one. But certainly his words indicate what the rules of the future would be. “I am the bishop of Rome, in this case the bishop emeritus of Rome”, explains Bergoglio. “I have no intention of resigning. Not at the moment ”, but he repeats however that“ the door is open ”after Benedict XVI in 2013 was the first Pope in 600 years to give up. Of course, he confesses that “his knee hurts a little”, that he feels a little “diminished” even though he can now walk, but that “in any case, he never thought of resigning, until today “. However, “if I see that I can’t, either I get hurt or I am an obstacle”, I wait for “help” to make the decision to retire, he declares.
“Maybe I could live in San Giovanni in Laterano”
In short, there is confirmation that the Vatican needs to better regulate the figure of the Pope Emeritus, Francis says in the interview. “The first experience went pretty well because he’s a holy and discreet man, and he handled it well,” he notes. “But in the future, things should be outlined more, or things should be made more explicit. I think for taking the first step after so many centuries, he gets 10 points. It is a marvel », adds Bergoglio. Francis says that he too would take such a step if it were the right time before dying, but still serving, “if I survive.” And he answers “certainly no” when asked if he would live in the Vatican as a retired Pope or if he would return to Argentina, and instead replies “perhaps” to the suggestion that he could settle in the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, the traditional seat of the bishop of Rome. . He also recalls that he had planned to retire from the post of archbishop of Buenos Aires at the time of the 2013 Conclave, which led him to become Pope. He adds that he had prepared a nice apartment in Buenos Aires where he could continue to hear confessions in a nearby church and visit the sick in a hospital.
On war: I want to talk about the victims, not the executioners
Then the war. Francis warns of the risk that the world is precipitating towards a third world war and affirms that “savage wars of destruction” such as the one afflicting Ukraine have been going on for years. “For years we have lived the third world war in pieces, in chapters, with wars everywhere”, even if the war in Ukraine “touches us more closely”. “We have lost consciousness of war”, he complains and “humanity continues to manufacture weapons”, adding firmly that war “enslaves”, dehumanizes, and that, according to the Catholic Catechism, the use and possession of weapons nuclear power is immoral and you cannot play with death in hand. Regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Francis stresses that he prefers to talk about the victims rather than the executioners, “about the country that is attacked” and about the “wild things we read and that we already know who is doing them”. He is in favor of “leaving the door open to the conscience of the person” and smiles when he is reminded of the accusations of being “pro-Russian”: “I laugh. The ability of people to express their opinion has no limits ”and“ many of the opinions are built on the wave of the latest Twitter ”, he cuts short.
On Biden and the protection of abortion: “Talk to your pastor”
In the interview with TelevisaUnivision, Pope Francis is very sharp in his condemnation of abortion and affirms that “scientific data” show that “a month after conception, the DNA of the fetus is already there and the organs are aligned. There is human life. Is it right to eliminate a human life? »Asks the Pontiff. Regarding the favorable position of the president of the United States, Joe Biden, a Catholic, to the protection of the right to abortion, Francis stresses that “he leaves it to his conscience: Speak to your pastor about this inconsistency”.