Cardinal says pope would have ‘courage’ to resign if health won’t let him work
VATICAN CITY (AP) – A leading cardinal said Thursday he thought Pope John Paul II “would have the courage” to resign if poor health left him unable to carry out his ministry, but another cardinal said the pontiff would “hold out” through his suffering. Talk about the pope’s future has heightened with his approaching birthday – he turns 82 on Saturday – and with several recent appearances that saw him struggling to climb stairs and often breathless during speeches.
Asked by reporters what the pope should do if frail health leaves him unable to govern, Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras said he thought that if the pope realizes “he cannot continue to carry out his ministry for health reasons, he would have the courage to resign.”
Rodriguez Maradiaga, 59, is seen by many as one of the potential candidates to be the next pope. He was in Rome to receive an honorary degree from a pontifical university.
But on Wednesday John Paul dismissed any talk he might step down, asking the faithful for prayers for him to continue his work at the head of the Roman Catholic church.
The pope, who suffers from the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and knee and hip ailments, told his weekly public audience: “I count on your spiritual support to continue faithfully in the ministry that the Lord entrusted to me.”
Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls on Thursday reiterated the pope’s comments. “The only thing I can say is to repeat what the Holy Father said yesterday in the general audience,” he said. “The idea was, ‘I will remain here until God permits.”‘
One of John Paul’s closest collaborators, German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, told a German Catholic weekly that the pope has become quieter and doesn’t speak as much as he used to.
He is often tired on days after he has tried to do too much, Ratzinger told Muenchner Kirchenzeitung, but “it is not true that he is no longer able to fulfill his duties.”
Asked if the pope plans to step down, Ratzinger answered: “I haven’t asked him about that. But if he sees that he absolutely can’t continue, then he would certainly step down. As long as it only means suffering, he will hold out.”
Vatican officials have frequently said that John Paul, now in the 24th year of his papacy, is not considering resignation.
Church law allows a pope to resign but there is no provision to force him from office.
Other high-ranking prelates have said they thought the pope might resign if he couldn’t do his job.
Two years ago, a top German bishop, Karl Lehmann, said he believed the pope would step down if he thought he could no longer lead the church. The pope later made the bishop a cardinal.
And one of Europe’s most influential cardinals, Belgium’s Godfried Danneels, has called for debate on limiting the term of the papacy. He has said he “wouldn’t be surprised” if the pope eventually retired.
Meanwhile, John Paul, while often struggling to get around, is keeping up a busy schedule. On Sunday, he is to lead a canonization ceremony in St. Peter’s Square that is expected to last nearly three hours.
On Wednesday, he leaves on a trip to Bulgaria and Azerbaijan, the first of at least three pilgrimages abroad he is scheduled to make this year.