According to his new resume, he would undertake the service until the end of his life.
In the book Life: My Story Through History, the 87-year-old Pope Francis says, despite potential health problems, there is no danger of his resignation, the BBC reports In this regard, he says, "I believe that the service of the Pope gives me my life, it is for life,
that's why I don't see it as justified to give it up".
Earlier this year, Pope Francis had already postponed some meetings and audiences due to his health - he often has the flu and is seen more and more in a wheelchair - and this, along with the pope's age, some say raises questions about the future of the Catholic Church.
Despite the fact that, according to his own statement, Pope Francis is not considering retiring, he writes in his memoirs that if he were forced to do so "due to serious physical obstacles", he would
"I would not call myself a retired pope, but simply a retired bishop of Rome, and I would move to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore to confess there and give communion to the sick. But that's a far-fetched assumption, as there really isn't any major reason why I should be thinking about it right now."
According to sources who know the Pope well, Francis definitely wants to avoid the "two-pope" scenario, which would be similar to the one when his predecessor, XVI. Benedek resigned in 2013, in an unusual way. The fact that Francis became Pope while XVI. Benedict was still alive, leading to considerable friction within the church, especially between conservatives and more liberal-minded members of the clergy.
In the book, the pope also actively discusses major international political issues, such as the migration crisis, global conflicts and matters related to the European Union, while in one chapter he recalls more personal memories, including a "little love" from his youth. In another part, he talks about his passion for football and his meeting with Maradona.
Christopher White, a Vatican observer, wrote to the American National Catholic Reporter that although Francis often talks about the world and the Church,
"it's very rare that he would talk so much about who he is".
The BBC columnist adds that during his 11-year reign, Pope Francis came into conflict with the more conservative currents within the church due to his "liberal ideas". Last year, for example, he allowed priests to bless same-sex couples and said transgender people could be baptized as long as it did not cause scandal or "confusion". And in November, he evicted the conservative American Cardinal Raymond Burke, who had openly criticized him, from his Vatican apartment and withheld his salary.
Featured image: Facebook/Vatican News
