Pope Francis’ autobiography points to resignation as a “distant hypothesis.”

Pope Francis classifies a possible resignation as pope as a “remote hypothesis” that could only occur due to a “serious physical handicap”, guaranteeing that he does not have any health problems requiring it and that he still has “many projects that need to be implemented.” .

At 87, in his first autobiography, Life: My Story Through History, written in collaboration with Italian journalist Fabio Marchese Ragona, the Pope admits that when he was hospitalized in the Vatican, some were “more interested in politics, in the election campaign, a little “I’m not thinking about a new conclave.”

In the book, released on Tuesday in dozens of countries and which will arrive in Portugal in April, Francisco stresses that the papacy is a lifelong job, but that “if a serious physical obstacle arises” he has already written a resignation letter in which kept by the Secretary of State.

The pope adds that if he were ever forced to resign, he would call himself not pope emeritus, but bishop emeritus of Rome, devoting himself to the profession.

In the work, the pontiff also takes the opportunity to ensure that he does not intend to change the rules of the conclave to elect his successor, considering information published in this regard by some North American Catholic media associated with the conservative sphere as “fiction.” “to create unrest in the Church.”

“As for the conclave, some American media have spread the news that I mean changing the rules, allowing nuns and laity to vote for the election of a new Pope: all these are fantasies, obviously fictions, put into circulation to cause unrest in the Church and disorientation among believers,” Francisco points out in the book.

“It is true that the Vatican is the last absolute monarchy in Europe and that courtly speculations and maneuvers are often carried out here, but these standards must necessarily be abandoned,” the pontiff added in the book, which was published by the Italian newspaper Corriere dela Sera. I looked at some excerpts.

His decision to allow Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples, as well as his support for civil unions, although excluding gay marriage, are also mentioned in the autobiography of the former archbishop of Buenos Aires, for whom Jesus spent time with people who lived on the margins of society, “and it was this is what the Church must do today with members of the LGBTQ+ community.”

While admitting that he is offended by the idea that he is “destroying the papacy,” Francis has spoken out on issues such as abortion, surrogacy, his relationship with Benedict XVI or football, his passion, specifically referring to his compatriot Diego Maradona. and Messi.

He also remembers his life before he was ordained as a priest, such as the girlfriend he had as a teenager, or what he considers a “little misstep” when, while still a seminarian, he was “blinded” by a girl who “turned his head” with her beauty and intelligence.”

“For a week I had an image of her in my head and it was difficult for me to pray! Fortunately, this passed and I devoted myself to my calling body and soul,” admits Jorge Mario Bergoglio in the book.

This volume of approximately 350 pages also includes space for his role during the Argentine military dictatorship of Jorge Videla (1976-1981).

Francisco’s detractors have criticized his handling of the disappearance of two Jesuit missionaries who were arrested, tortured and then released while he was head of the Jesuit order in Argentina.

“The accusations against me continued until recently and were a form of revenge on the part of some leftists who knew that I was against these atrocities,” laments the former archbishop of Buenos Aires, who has always denied any responsibility.

“Later, some people told me that the Argentine government at that time did everything possible to hang me, but found no evidence: obviously I was innocent,” he states in his autobiography.