:strip_icc()/s03.video.glbimg.com/x720/10805302.jpg "I Could Consider Resigning, But Not Now, Says Pope Francis | World")
Pope says door to resign is open, but not now
Pope Francis has said the time may come when he should consider stepping down as head of the Catholic Church – and that he would do so if his health prevents him from serving if needed. But that’s not something he’s thinking about right now, he said.
“The door (to resign) is open – it’s a normal option. But until today, I haven’t knocked on that door. I haven’t felt the need to think about that possibility. Which doesn’t mean that in two days I can’t start thinking about respect,” he said.
The comments came at the end of a trip to Canada, during which he apologized to Indigenous peoples for the Church’s role in ancient schools whose function was to assimilate Indigenous peoples and destroy their indigenous cultures and languages.
It was a long and exhausting programming journey.
Francisco, 85, confirmed he intended to continue in office – and said he would be guided by God regarding the resignation, should that happen.
“It’s not a disaster to change popes, it’s not a taboo,” he told reporters, sitting in a wheelchair on the papal plane returning from Canada to Rome.
In recent months, Francis has suffered from a knee problem which has impacted his mobility. He spent much of the Canadian tour in a wheelchair.
But he had confirmed that he no longer had any serious health problems, although he acknowledged the limitations imposed by age.
“This trip has been intense,” he told reporters. “I don’t think I can continue to travel at the same pace as before, at my age, with the limitations of this knee. Either I save up a bit to continue serving the Church, or I have to start considering the possibility of exit.”
The pope – whose predecessor Benedict XVI resigned in 2013 – also said he intended to visit Ukraine but would seek advice from his doctors first.
During his visit to Canada, the focus was on apologies to Indigenous peoples.
The pope was most engaged when interacting with local people – especially survivors of abuse in Catholic schools.
But there were times when, during the more formal parts of the trip, like political meetings, his fatigue was more evident.
In conversation with reporters on the return trip, he was encouraged to criticize so-called “traditionalists” within the Catholic Church – who, by the way, would be the ones who would most celebrate a change of pope.
“A Church that does not evolve is a Church that recedes,” Francis said. “A lot of people consider themselves traditionalists, but no, they just backtrack. It’s a sin.”
“Tradition is living faith in the dead, but your attitude is dead faith in the living. It is important to understand the role of a tradition – a musician said that tradition is the guarantee of the future, this is not a museum piece.
“Freelance communicator. Hardcore web practitioner. Entrepreneur. Total student. Beer ninja.”
