Pope Francis may abdicate for health reasons: what is known

Italian Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi has suggested that Pope Francis may resign due to health problems. This may happen if his condition does not allow him to continue to perform the duties of the head of the Roman Catholic Church.

The 88-year-old Pope has been in the Vatican's Agostino Gemelli Hospital for almost a week now, fighting pneumonia in both lungs. This is reported by The Telegraph.

The former Vatican official noted that Pope Francis has always been ready for difficult challenges and was determined. However, in the absence of the ability to "immediately, sharply and decisively" communicate with the faithful, to have "direct contact" with Catholics around the world, as is necessary to fulfill his role, he could consider resigning.

"However, there is no doubt that if he found himself in a situation where his ability to have direct contact, as he likes to do, to be able to communicate instantly, sharply and decisively, then I think he might consider resigning," the cardinal said.

The cardinal recalled that the pontiff used to be able to cope with traveling in very difficult conditions, such as a trip to the Far East. He traveled more than 32 thousand kilometers to meet with the faithful in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore.

"He could have done it because he is a man who is quite determined in his choice," said Cardinal Ravasi.

The Vatican press service reported that the Pope's condition is stable and he is feeling better. He was even able to get out of bed, have breakfast in his chair, and celebrate the Eucharist. However, according to the doctors, his stay in the hospital will last longer than originally expected. 

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, head of the Catholic bishops of Italy and Archbishop of Bologna, expressed confidence that the pontiff will recover and return to his duties in the near future.

"The fact that the Pope was having breakfast, reading newspapers, meeting with people shows that we are moving in the right direction for a full recovery, which we hope will happen soon," he said at a church event in Bologna.

In recent years, the Pope has had a number of health problems, and he himself has discussed the prospect of resigning if he is unable to fulfill his duties and lead the world's 1.3 billion Catholics. This will depend on his physical and mental condition.

It is known that the Pope has repeatedly mentioned his health, in particular, problems with his knees, which forced him to use a wheelchair. He said that he felt "old" and humiliated because of this.

Earlier this week, Antonio Spadaro, undersecretary of the Vatican's dicastery for culture and education, also voiced the possibility of a papal resignation.

"The Pope is a man who, if he believes he no longer has the energy to lead the Church forward, would resign," said Rev. Spadaro, a fellow Jesuit and close advisor to the Pope.

At the same time, messages of support and prayers for the Pope's recovery are coming from all over the world.

As OBOZ.UA reported, the pontiff has been in the hospital since February 14. This is the second hospitalization of the head of the Catholic Church in February. Pope Francis was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia, which requires further pharmacological therapy.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!