No discussion of Pope Francis resigning, says Parolin

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin has said that during his three recent visits to Pope Francis in hospital there has been no discussion regarding the option of resignation. “No, no, not at all,” the cardinal stated when asked by reporters at an event held at the St. Regis Hotel in Rome on 10 The post No discussion of Pope Francis resigning, says Parolin first appeared on Catholic Herald. The post No discussion of Pope Francis resigning, says Parolin appeared first on Catholic Herald.

Mar 21, 2025 - 04:00

No discussion of Pope Francis resigning, says Parolin

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin has said that during his three recent visits to Pope Francis in hospital there has been no discussion regarding the option of resignation.

“No, no, not at all,” the cardinal stated when asked by reporters at an event held at the St. Regis Hotel in Rome on 10 March, reports the Catholic News Agency (CNA).

Parolin addressed the topic of the health of the 88-year-old pontiff who has been hospitalised since Feb. 14, and his ability to still lead the global Catholic Church.

“I think we should go by the medical reports, because they’re the ones that tell us exactly what the Pope’s condition is,” the cardinal said, noting that during his last visit to the Pope at Gemelli Hospital on March 9, he found him in better condition than on his previous visits.

Regarding effective governance of the Church and the Holy Father’s ability and role in decision-making, Parolin acknowledged that he and the Pope haven’t been unable to discuss issues in depth during conversations in the hospital due to the Pope’s delicate health and ongoing recovery. But, he added, the pontiff nevertheless was presented with several matters that required his decision.

“The Pope gives his instructions,” Parolin emphasised.

As discussed previously in the Catholic Herald, despite his longest hospitalisation to date, due to a complex respiratory infection and double pneumonia with an unclear prognosis, Pope Francis has still managed to project the message that he remains in charge even from his hospital room.

With no “vice-pope” to pick up the slack, the centre of government for the Catholic Church the past month and counting has no longer been the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City, but the papal suite on the 10th floor of Gemelli Hospital in Rome.

Since the beginning of his papacy, Pope Francis has gained a reputation for unpredictability and impulsiveness and a style of papacy that has confounded close aides and top officials, leaving almost everyone perpetually unclear what course of action he will taken on a given matter, and when.

Many observers and collaborators over the years have said this is not an accident, but a strategy intended to make it clear that he’s the only one calling the shots, and is not beholden to or controlled in any way by anyone else – whether in hospital or back in his normal domain of the Vatican.

Photo: Cardinal Pietro Parolin conducts a Mass in St Peter’s Basilica for The Movement for Life Association whilst Pope Francis remains in hospital, Vatican City, 8 March 2025. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images.)