Pope Francis says he prepared resignation letter in 2013 in case of impairment: Reports

ISTANBUL

Pope Francis said he prepared a resignation letter in 2013, his first year in office, that would be used if he were ever compelled to step down due to poor health, reports revealed Sunday.

"I have already signed my resignation. Tarcisio Bertone was Secretary of State. I signed it and I told him: 'In case of impediment for medical reasons or whatever, here is my resignation,'" the Pope said in an interview conducted in 2022, the New York Post reported at the time.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone was a holdover from Pope Benedict XVI, about six months after Pope Francis was elected to the papacy in March 2013.

“You have it. I don’t know to whom Cardinal Bertone may have given it, but I gave it to him when he was secretary of state," the Pope said at the time.

As Pope Francis remained hospitalized in Rome on Sunday, he expressed his gratitude to those who have kept him in their prayers during his health struggles.

"I have recently received many messages of affection, and I have been particularly struck by the letters and drawings from children," he posted on X Sunday.

"Thank you for your closeness, and for the consoling prayers I have received from all over the world!” he added.

Pope Francis' condition remains "critical," the Vatican said Sunday, noting that he has not experienced further respiratory issues.

In a statement, the Vatican confirmed that the Pope received two units of concentrated red blood cells, which had a beneficial effect and led to an increase in his hemoglobin levels.

While his thrombocytopenia remains stable, some early signs of renal insufficiency have appeared, though they are being actively managed, the statement added.