Pope Francis: I’ve signed my resignation letter — in case of health impediment

Pope Francis says he has submitted his letter of resignation in the event that health challenge affects his ability to carry out his duties.

According to Vatican News, the pope said this in an interview with the Spanish daily ABC.

The pontiff said he gave the letter to Tarcisio Bertone, cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who was Vatican secretary of state from 2006 till 2013.

Pope Francis took over as head of the Catholic Church in 2013.

According to the pope, he submitted the letter when Bertone was secretary of state.

“I have already signed my resignation. It was when Tarcisio Bertone was Secretary of State. I signed the resignation and told him: ‘In case of a health impediment or whatever, here is my resignation. You have it’,” he said.

“I don’t know who Cardinal Bertone gave it to, but I gave it to him when he was Secretary of State.

“This is the first time I am saying this. Now, maybe someone will go and ask Cardinal Bertone to ‘give me that letter’ (the Pope said jokingly)… surely (Cardinal Bertone) will have given it to the new Secretary of State.”

While there have been concerns over the pope’s health at different times, in July 2021, he was taken to A. Gemelli Policlinic in Rome, where he had surgery for symptomatic diverticular stenosis of the colon.