Pope: ‘I’m not considering resigning but would be ‘bishop emeritus of Rome’

The Italian newspaper “Corriere della Sera” releases several passages from Pope Francis’ autobiographical book entitled “Life. My Story in History,” written with Vatican journalist Fabio Marchese Ragona, set to be released on March 19 by HarperCollins.
In the passages released, the Pope clarified that were he to resign, he would not choose to be called “Pope Emeritus” but simply “Bishop Emeritus of Rome.” In that case, he would live in the Basilica of St. Mary Major “to return to being a confessor and bring communion to the sick.”
The Pope clarified this possible scenario in case of his resignation, which, however, he emphasized, “is a distant hypothesis” because there are no “so serious reasons” to consider this possibility, which he said he never considers, “despite moments of difficulty.” There are no “conditions for a resignation,” according to Pope Francis, unless “a serious physical impediment” arose, in which case a “letter of resignation” deposited in the Secretariat of State signed by Bergoglio at the beginning of his pontificate would apply. He added that the possibility remains remote, since the Pope “is in good health and, God willing, there are many projects still to be realized.”

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