Pope Francis: Rumors Of Resignation And Reasons For Resignation

Pope Francis: Rumors Of Resignation And Reasons For Resignation



The “Süddeutsche Zeitung” reports on rumors of the resignation of Pope Francis. I myself was in Rome at Christmas 2021, Easter 2022 and on May 31, 2022 for funerals for Cardinal Angelo Sodano. My impression is similar. Pope Francis could resign.

It would probably be for health reasons. Pope Francis does not reveal details about his health. But he has been bad for over two years, since the beginning of the corona pandemic. The media reported that he received injections and he sits in a wheelchair. I've never heard of an 85-year-old getting out of a wheelchair with injections. In addition, being in a wheelchair only makes his weak heart weaker because he doesn't get cardio training. Muscles degrade in people over the age of 80 if not maintained. Pope Francis no longer moves in a wheelchair. Almost everyone who spends a long time in a wheelchair becomes incontinent because the sphincter muscle no longer works. The internal organs such as the stomach and intestines work less well in people who are in a wheelchair because the body moves little or not at all. Pope Francis would also gain weight if he continued to use a wheelchair. An operation is prevented by the fear that his weak heart might not survive the operation. A few weeks ago, Pope Francis' remark that he needed tequila for his knee went viral. It cannot be ruled out that Pope Francis will encourage alcohol because the knee pain does not subside.

Since the now 85-year-old has not yet faced up to his walking problems, he may have let too much time pass to be operated on in time. He had to be persuaded by a male nurse to have his bowel operation in the summer of 2021. The health problems are clearly visible in Pope Francis.

A reason for a resignation was already in the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI. discussed. Bishops retire at 75, cardinals at 80. It would be desirable if popes would retire at the age of 85. So far, this has not been specified anywhere. Pope Benedict XVI complied and resigned six weeks before his 86th birthday. Pope Francis will celebrate his 86th birthday on December 17, 2022.

In general, one cannot say that the reforms of Pope Francis were very well received. The fact that his leadership style is not very convincing could be seen in the case of Munich Archbishop Reinhard Cardinal Marx and in the case of Cologne Archbishop Rainer Maria Cardinal Woelki. In Germany, Pope Francis is not convincing at all. The exit numbers are higher than ever. Even under Pope Benedict XVI, who was always viewed as more than critical in Germany, the number of exits was far below those of 2020 and 2021.

Finally, one has to ask whether the Argentinian Pope Francis correctly understands and can understand the European peace order, which has existed for over 70 years. As a South American, he comes from a politically always desolate country. State power and state assertiveness in the democratic sense are foreign to him. Already in the Corona crisis, the problems became apparent that Pope Francis did not correctly assess the severity of this pandemic and believers only had to comply with health measures very late. At the end of the pandemic, the former Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Cardinal Sodano died of Corona two weeks ago on May 27, 2022. Pope Francis does not extensively fulfill his duty of care for needy staff of the Roman Catholic Church.

In the Ukraine war, too, Pope Francis failed to have an understanding of the state and peace that was appropriate to European standards. Twice, including at the Angelus on Pentecost Sunday, June 5, 2022, Pope Francis said: "They shoot at each other". The fact is that Russian President Vladimir Putin is the aggressor and that Ukraine must defend itself if it does not want to become indefinitely part of an authoritarian presidential rule. Nevertheless, Pope Francis repeatedly offers himself as a peace mediator, although he is probably unfamiliar with the usual state regulations on the way to a ceasefire. On May 21, 2022, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio presented on behalf of the Italian state a concept for negotiations leading to peace in Ukraine, thus ending the discussion that Pope Francis could act as a peace mediator.

Pope Francis' "reforms" are causing mass resignations, his political understanding does not correspond to the modern European understanding of the state, he does not face his own health problems in a timely and comprehensive manner and he perhaps drinks too much of tequila. There would be many reasons for retiring to end active service before the age of 85. That Pope em. Benedict XVI at the age of 95 years is still alive nine years after his resignation should hardly be an obstacle to his successor’s resigning. You never know: maybe the funeral for Pope Francis will take place before the funeral for Pope em. Benedict XVI.

Elke Göß

(1) Vgl. Meiler Oliver (2022): Vatikan: Tritt der Papst zurück? Vatikan: Tritt der Papst zurück? (msn.com),08.06.2022

Regensburg, June 8, 2022