<![CDATA[ E se o Papa não conseguir governar a Igreja? ]]>

There are only two ways for a pope to cease to be pope: either he dies or he resigns. But the pope’s health over the past two weeks raises questions about what happens if the bishop of Rome is unable to lead the Catholic Church but is also unable to resign. Canon law is silent on this point, but the church is never without leadership, even if the pope falls into a coma.

The plan to be implemented in the event of the death of a serving Pope is well defined and has been implemented hundreds of times over the centuries. The same applies to Popes who decide to resign from office (although this has only happened six times in history). However, the resignation must be made by a priest of his own free will and in a very express manner, as Pope Benedict XVI did in 2013. What happens if Pope Francis, who has been hospitalized for ten days with pneumonia, is unable to resign? The Vatican machinery that ensures the functions of the Bishop of Rome comes into play, even if he is unable to do so. But the Pope remains the Pope.

Today, despite having been hospitalized with severe pneumonia for over a week, the Pope continues to lead the Church. According to reports from the Vatican, the Bishop of Rome continues to work, although he has delegated many of his day-to-day tasks to teams that assist him in his various roles.

In his latest interviews, when asked about his health problems, Francis acknowledged that he did not intend to resign, unless a serious health problem arose and he became too limited to govern.

But the pope himself wrote a letter of resignation when he was appointed, which was to be invoked if he became medically incapacitated. The existence of this letter was revealed by the pope himself, but its contents are not known. The head of the Catholic Church said he signed the letter of resignation and sent it to the Vatican's Secretary of State, Tarcisio Bertone. "I signed the resignation and told him: 'In case of medical or other impediment, here is my resignation. You have it,'" he said in an interview with ABC . Bertone retired in October 2013, months after the conclave that elected Francis. The pope said he did not know what happened to the letter.

According to canon law, when a bishop is unable to perform his duties, the auxiliary bishop or vicar general is responsible for managing the diocese. However, if the Pope is incapable (for example, in a comatose state), canon law states that nothing can be changed while this situation remains. If the Pope is in a vegetative state, this situation remains until the Pope is lucid again and able to resign, or when he dies and a replacement is appointed.

This situation of omission in the event of the Pope being unable to resign led a team of canon law lawyers to propose, in 2021, changing the law to fill this legal gap, highlights the news agency Associated Press . The proponents argued that with medical advances there would come a time when the Pope would remain alive, but unable to govern. They also argued that the Church should define when it is time to replace the Pope due to impediment and make a transfer of power to a new bishop of Rome, in the "name of unity".

The possibility of Pope Francis resigning from his mandate has been raised among journalists and cardinals. After several days in hospital, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, former Prefect of the Curia for Culture, raised the possibility of papal resignation last Thursday, February 20. "I think the Pope could do it," Ravasi explained in an interview with RTL Italia , saying that although the Pope has always shown a desire to continue exercising his mandate, if he is prevented from contacting the faithful and communicating directly with the cardinals he may decide to resign.

The current dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, for his part, assured that "the Pope will not resign." Cardinal Pietro Parolin, meanwhile, described the rumors that he would resign as "useless speculation." "Now we are thinking about the health of the Holy Father, his recovery, his return to the Vatican; these are the only things that matter," said the Vatican Secretary of State. "I think it is quite normal that in these situations uncontrolled rumors are spread or that inappropriate comments are made: it is certainly not the first time that this has happened," he added.

In the event of the Pope resigning or dying, several processes begin, including the preparation of funeral ceremonies and the organization of a conclave to elect a successor.

In the case of death, everything begins with the confirmation of the death of the Bishop of Rome, which is announced by the camerlengo (a high-ranking official in the Vatican). The current camerlengo is Cardinal Kevin Farrell. Farrell will confirm the death, which is currently declared by doctors. The Fisherman's Ring, the ring worn by the Pope and which contains the stamp to mark official documents, is then destroyed. The camerlengo then announces the Pope's death to the College of Cardinals before the news is announced to the world.

The Pope's body will then lie in state in St. Peter's Basilica for nine days so that the faithful can pay their last respects. The Pope will then be buried.

In the case of resignation, the process is different. Although it has only happened six times, there is also a whole process created for this situation. The last person to resign was Benedict XVI, in 2013, being the first Pope to do so since Gregory XII, in 1415. Benedict XVI repeated the previous ceremonials, making his resignation in Latin and in a public event, ensuring that he was in full possession of his mental faculties.

Related Articles