Pope Francis is “absolutely not” quitting due to his health, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said. Speculation that the 88-year-old Argentine pontiff might be considering stepping down like his predecessor Benedict XVI has oscillated during his over four weeks in a Rome hospital battling double pneumonia, from which he is now slowly recovering. He was in critical condition until a few days ago. Francis handed in an eventual letter of resignation shortly after his election in March 2013 in the event of his feeling unfit to keep doing his job. “Absolutely not,” Parolin firmly replied to journalists on the sidelines of an event on the occasion of Ramadan, on the hypothesis that Francis might resign. Parolin reported that he had his last conversation with the ailing pontiff last week at the Policlinico Agostino Gemelli Hospital. “I believe that we must stick to the medical bulletins – added Cardinal Parolin – because they are the ones that tell us exactly the Pope’s condition. “I met him a week ago, then I didn’t have another chance; I found him better than the first time, but this is only an external evaluation”. “You can’t have in-depth discussions, we present the various situations to him”, the Secretary of State also said about the government of the Church and when asked if the Pope intends to resign he answered bluntly: “absolutely not”.
Pope can go without oxygen therapy for short spells
Meanwhile, Pope Francis can go without oxygen therapy for “brief moments” as he recovers from double pneumonia in a Rome hospital, the Vatican said Monday. The intensity of the oxygen therapy has also been reduced, said the Vatican press office. His discharge from Gemelli Hospital “is not imminent,” it said. A swelling of his hand that was noticed in the first hospital photo released Sunday is due to the lack of movement of the limb, but is getting better, said the press office. The next bulletin on the health of the 88-year-old Argentine pontiff, whose condition was critical until a few days ago, will be issued on Wednesday, it said.
