Pope Francis leads Angelus prayer at the Vatican on Sunday.Last modified on Sun 18 Dec 2022 14.54 GMT
Francis told the Spanish newspaper ABC he had “already signed my renunciation” when asked in an interview what would happen if health issues or an accident left a pope unable to carry out his duties. In past remarks, Francis has hailed the decision of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI to resign because he felt due to advancing age he would not be best able to carry out his duties. Benedict, who is living in a monastery on the Vatican’s grounds, was the first pontiff to resign in 600 years, and his stepping down paved the way for Francis’s election as the first pope from South America.
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