In an interview with the Spanish “Abésai”, Pope Francis revealed that he entrusted his resignation to Cardinal Bertone, then Secretary of State of the Holy See, when he took office as pope, clarifying that he suffered from serious health conditions and from long-term obstacles to the end He will resign from his post. Pope Paul VI did the same. Furthermore, the Pope has also announced that within two years a certain ministry of the Holy See will have a female minister.
(Vatican News Network)Already in 2013, when Pope Francis took office, he entrusted his resignation to Cardinal Bertone, then Secretary of State, in the event that “health factors prevented him from carrying out his duties”. Pope Francis personally revealed the news in an interview with Spanish newspaper ABC, noting that Pope Paul VI had done the same. The full text of this interview was published on December 18. The Pope spoke with the newspaper’s editor-in-chief, Julián Quirós, and with the newspaper’s Vatican correspondent, Javier Martínez-Brocal, on numerous topics concerning the current state of the Church and the world. For example, the Pope does not think that the war in Ukraine will end “quickly, because it is a world war”.
Pope Bergoglio himself revealed in an interview the existence of a letter of resignation. “I signed my resignation a long time ago, when Cardinal Bertone was Secretary of State for the Holy See. I signed my resignation and told him: ‘In case my health prevents me from carrying out my duties, my resignation I’m at Qui. Hold I don’t know to whom then Cardinal Bertone gave his resignation, but I entrusted him to him as Secretary of State”. . “It’s the first time I’ve said it”, said Pope Bergoglio, “perhaps now someone will go and ask Cardinal Bertone to deliver this resignation. Cardinal Bertone must have given them to the new secretary of state. because he was the secretary of state at the time”.
In his conversation, the Pope naturally referred to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The pope said he sees no signs of a “quick end” to the war, calling it a “world war” in which “many hands are already involved.”
Subsequently, the Pope addressed the question of the “nature of the Church”, revealing that women can be allowed high-level positions in the ministries of the Holy See. The pope assured that women will certainly enter the highest ranks, saying: “I already have in mind a candidate for a ministry of the Holy See whose leadership will be vacant in two years. For a ministry of the Holy See that can have lay ministers, there is no obstacle to the leadership of women”. At the same time, the Pope also clarified: “If it is a ministry of the Holy See of a sacramental nature, it must be presided over by a priest or a bishop.”
Speaking of his relationship with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Pope Francis called him a “holy” man with “a profound spiritual heritage”. The current pope reveals that he often visits the pope emeritus and is always enriched by his penetrating insights: Benedict XVI “has a good sense of humour” and his thoughts are “clear and alive”, even if “he speaks slowly, but stays keeping up with the theme.” Pope Francis has expressed his admiration for Benedict XVI, but also said he has no intention of establishing legal status as pope emeritus: “I feel that the Holy Spirit is not interested in my meddling in these matters.”
Regarding future visits, Pope Bergoglio said that a trip to Marseilles is planned to participate in the Mediterranean Encounter. The pope explained that it was not a question of a visit to France, since the priority of his pastoral visits are the smallest countries in Europe.
When asked about Catalonia, the pope said: “Each country must understand its own historical course to solve these problems, there is no single solution.”
As for the role that the Church must maintain in this situation, the Pope underlined: “The Church must not act as an advocate for either side, but must accompany the people until they find a definitive solution”. “It is not appropriate for a priest to engage in politics … A priest is a pastor, he must help people make good decisions and be with them. But a priest cannot engage in politics. If a priest wants to get into politics, he has to leave the priesthood and become a priest. political figure.”
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