A view of St. Peter's
Basilica in the Vatican
Cardinal Parolin:
'Unfounded speculation' on Pope’s resignation
In an interview with
Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, the Vatican Secretary of State says the
only matters of concern are the Pope’s health, his recovery, and his return to
the Vatican. The Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith also
says news of calls for the Pope to resign is unfounded.
By Vatican News
“All of this seems to me
to be unfounded speculation. Right now, our focus is on the Holy Father’s
health, his recovery, and his return to the Vatican—these are the only things
that matter.” With these words, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, in
an interview with Corriere della Sera, responds to reports in
recent days discussing the possibility of Pope Francis’ resignation. The Holy
Father has been hospitalized at the Gemelli Hospital since Friday, 14 February
for a respiratory tract infection.
Unverified rumours
When asked about the
atmosphere in light of the spread of false news and speculation surrounding the
Vatican, the Cardinal replies, “Honestly, I am not aware of such manoeuvres,
and in any case, I try to stay out of them. On the other hand, I think it is
quite normal in these situations for unverified rumours to circulate or for
misplaced comments to be made—this is certainly not the first time. However, I
do not believe there is any particular movement in this regard, and so far, I
have not heard anything of the sort.”
Cardinal Parolin, who
recently returned from a visit to the West African nation of Burkina Faso, has
informed the Pope that he is available to visit him at the hospital if
necessary, but so far, “there has been no need.”
“In this regard,” he
adds, “it is better for him to remain protected and have as few visits as
possible so that he can rest, allowing the treatment to be more effective.
Thanks be to God, the updates from Gemelli Hospital are encouraging - he is
recovering well. Some official documents have even been sent to him, which
means he is progressing.”
No pressure
Meanwhile, the Prefect of
the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández,
in an interview with the Argentine newspaper La Nación, states that
“it makes no sense for some groups to exert pressure for a resignation. They
have done so on several occasions in recent years, but this can only ever be a
completely free decision of the Holy Father in order for it to be valid.”
“I do not perceive a
pre-conclave atmosphere, nor do I see more discussion about a possible
successor than there was a year ago—nothing out of the ordinary,” he adds and
concludes, “What matters to me is that the Pope’s body has responded well to
the current therapy.”
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