With Pope Francis still in hospital with pneumonia, questions are being raised about whether he could resign from the papacy, just like his predecessor, Benedict XVI.

The Pontiff is clinging to life after a week of struggling to make it through double-lung pneumonia, and the Vatican is reporting he is stable, but insiders say he has privately confessed he may not be able to pull through.

According to some insiders who spoke to Politico, the Pope is reportedly afraid he "might not make it this time."

Another Papal Resignation in A Row?

Former Vice Minister of Culture of the Vatican discussed Pope Francis's resignation, adding that resignation is always possible if the Pope believes he cannot perform his tasks.

Speaking to Italian radio station RTL, per The Sun, Ravasi said that if the Pope believes he is no longer able to do it, then it remains a possible choice.

"There is no doubt that the Pope could decide to resign if he found himself in a situation in which his ability to have direct contact with people and to communicate in an immediate, incisive and decisive manner was compromised."

Popes used to serve for life, and so did tradition until Francis' predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, resigned in 2013, almost nine years before his death in December 2022.

Only a handful of papal resignations have occurred over the centuries, such as Gregory XII in 1415, Celestine V in 1294, and Gregory VI in 1046.

Vatican officials subsequently released updates indicating that Pope Francis' condition is improving, albeit amid some concerns.

On Thursday, the Pope was said to have had a "restful night" in a statement and rose from bed and breakfast in an armchair.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited him for 20 minutes and then reassured everyone that the Pontiff still had his sense of humor.

Meloni's office said in a statement, "We joked around as always. He has not lost his proverbial sense of humor."

Yet, according to Blick, Vatican officials are said to prepare quietly for the worst. The Swiss Guard, which protects any papal funeral, has reportedly been practicing for the event of Pope Francis's death.

What if Pope Francis Steps Down?

Should Pope Francis opt to resign, the Catholic Church would enter "sede vacante," a phase in which the papal chair sits empty. That means Cardinals would be called into a conclave to elect his successor as if Francis had died.

Insiders say Francis has moved to ensure the Church will be led in a manner consistent with his vision.

The Pope's recent extension of Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re as dean of the College of Cardinals—an appointment that many view as strategic because Re is already overseeing the conclave to choose the next Pope—is among the topics on which the German-born Francis and the German-born Francis are thought to diverge, as noted by Politico.

Sources told the publication that he is too old to vote himself, but his presence will guide conversations behind closed doors and help to ensure Francis' vision of Church reform doesn't leave with him.

A Church in Waiting

The global Catholic community has been on edge lately due to fears that Pope Francis is once again ailing. Many still hope for his recovery, but the possibility of a second resignation hangs in the air.

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, president of Italy's Catholic bishops, remains hopeful for Francis' condition.

"We are heading in the right direction for a full recovery that we hope will happen soon." Zuppi said, referring to the fact that the Pope had breakfast, read the papers, and received people at a church event in Bologna.

Meanwhile, the world waits and watches as Pope Francis battles this latest health challenge. Whether or not he'll resign remains to be seen.

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Pope Francis, News