This Tuesday, Pope Francis released his first autobiography in which he classifies a possible resignation from the papacy as a “distant hypothesis”, which would only occur due to a “serious physical impediment”.
The 87-year-old leader of the Catholic Church says he does not have any health problems that require him to resign. In the work “Life: My story through History” – written in collaboration with the Italian journalist Fabio Marchese Ragona, the Pope admits that, when he was hospitalized in the Vatican, some were “more interested in politics, in the electoral campaign, almost thinking in a new conclave”.
In this book, released in dozens of countries and arriving in Portugal in April, Francisco emphasizes that the papacy is a job for life, but that, “if a serious physical impediment occurs”, he has already written a letter of resignation that is kept at the Secretary of State. Francisco once again defends his decision to allow same-sex or civil union couples to be blessed.
The Holy Father, who celebrated 11 years of pontificate on Wednesday, reiterates his condemnation of abortion and the use of surrogate mothers. “We must always defend human life, from conception to death.
I will never tire of saying that abortion is murder, a criminal act, there are no other words: it means discarding, eliminating a human life that is not to blame.
It is a defeat for those who practice it and for those who become accomplices: hired killers, gunmen! No more abortions, please!” condemns the Supreme Pontiff.
About his youth and personal life, Francisco says that he had a girlfriend and fell in love with a young woman when he was in the Seminary, but God’s call ended up being stronger.
The Pope also talks about another of his passions, football, but says he hasn’t watched Argentina games on television since 1990, because there are things a priest shouldn’t watch.
“While the brothers and I were watching television in the recreation room, some scenes were broadcast that were not very delicate, to say the least, something that was certainly not good for the heart.
Nothing risky, for God’s sake, but as soon as I got back into the room I said to myself: ‘A priest can’t look at these things’.
And so, the next day, at Mass on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, I made a vow not to watch television anymore!”, said Francisco.