Last month, the Italian daily Il Foglio reported that Francis said he would rather retire than have knee surgery.
Last week’s announcement of a consistory to create 21 new cardinals further convinced some commentators of the pope’s intention to step down. Sixteen of the cardinals are under the age of 80 and therefore have the right to vote in a conclave to elect a successor to Francis. Once added to the ranks, the pontiff will rank the College of Cardinals with 83 of the 132 cardinals with the right to vote.
Although there is no guarantee of how the cardinals can vote, the chances of them choosing a successor who shares the pastoral priorities of the current pope are growing.
Francis was elected pope in 2013 with a mandate to reform the Roman Curia. Now that the nine-year project has been deployed and at least partially completed, Francis’ main task as pope has somehow been accomplished.
In September 2021, after being invited by the Bishop of Ragusa to attend the seventy-fifth anniversary of the founding of the diocese in 2025, the Holy Father smiled and told the bishop that John XXVI would make the visit, not him. This, in turn, has fueled new rumors of impending retirement.
Health problems are contributing to rumors of retirement
Last year, after undergoing colon surgery, rumors began to circulate that he would soon leave the Vatican due to deteriorating health.
“I’m not playing this game,” he told a Spanish radio station at the time. “I do not watch TV. During the day I was told about the events of the day – but much later, a few days later, I realized that there were rumors of my resignation. Every time the pope is sick, there is a wind, a hurricane, a conclave. ”
Despite speculation about his tenure, the pope has a series of major commitments on his calendar.
In addition to upcoming trips this year to Congo, South Sudan, Canada and Kazakhstan, he has scheduled a major meeting of world bishops in 2023 to discuss the growing decentralization of the Catholic Church and the continued implementation of its reforms.
Add Comment