In the 728 years that have passed since St Celestine established this legal precedent, the right of a pope to resign remains ensured in church law.

The law is not very detailed, saying only that the decision must be made freely and "duly manifested". No one needs to formally accept a pope's resignation for it to be valid.

The canonist Geraldina Boni told Catholic News Service, "It is no longer inconceivable for a pope to resign, with this door having been ‘opened,' as Francis himself has said several times".

However, she added "this situation must be regulated".

Boni also suggested the need to regulate issues such as what to do when a pope is unable to govern the universal church when he is completely, permanently and irreversibly impeded or impaired because of a debilitating illness or other conditions.

Boni and other canonists launched a project in 2021 to draft legislative proposals that could be studied and discussed on an online platform. The aim is to present the suggestions to "the supreme legislator", the pope, for his consideration.

One of the proposals is on the legal status or "canonical condition of the bishop of Rome who resigned his office."

Many of the suggestions mirror the approaches taken by retired Pope Benedict.

For example, the proposal says "the manifestation of the resignation must preferably be put into writing and ordinarily presented in a consistory of the College of Cardinals or in another way that makes it publicly knowable".

However, some of the suggestions depart from Pope Benedict's actions, the biggest of which is the retired pope's title.

Instead of "pope emeritus," the proposal says the retired pontiff "receives the title of bishop emeritus of Rome," and he "uses the ring that every bishop must wear". Photos of the retired Pope show him wearing the cardinal's ring.

"The bishop emeritus of Rome does not assume or regain the dignity of cardinal nor the functions that are attached to it," the proposal says. It added, "However, in liturgical and canonical matters, the bishop emeritus of Rome has the privileges and faculties attributed to cardinals".

Cardinal-designate Gianfranco Ghirlanda, a Jesuit theologian and canon lawyer, said "Having two people with the title of ‘pope,' even if one added 'emeritus,' it cannot be said that this might not generate confusion in public opinion".

The idea of more than one pope at one time "dangerously mixes up the precise meaning of the Petrine ministry. Which is that of being a sign of unity of the church, therefore, one sign of unity of the church," he said in his talk.

Boni told CNS, "We will see if the work done by us university professors has been considered — even in criticising it or departing from it — by the eventual drafters of any papal legislation".

"Certainly, the wide debate that has built up on the issue has helped dismantle a taboo that had no reason to exist," she said of laws on the status of a retired pope.

Sources

• CruxNow

According to Cardinal Óscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga, who advises the pope within the Council of Cardinals, news reports suggesting Pope Francis' physical decline will soon lead to a new conclave are "fake news".

The rumours are being perpetrated by outlets located primarily in the United States where Francis faces "strong opposition".

The pope has never thought about resigning, Maradiaga says.

Numerous articles published recently in major news outlets have attempted to draw conclusions from a conflagration of scheduled events in August.

These include cardinals from across the globe convening at the Vatican where Francis will make 21 new cardinals. They will also discuss the new apostolic constitution "Praedicate Evangelium" or "Preach the Gospel".

Much has been made of the unusual timing of these events in August instead of September. Speculation includes Francis may be hurrying to cement his legacy. His cardinal appointments are assumed to be a sign that he is paving the way toward his successor.

That's just not right, Maradiaga says.

The consistory "is proof that the pope is moving forward, he is not going to resign, nor is he sick".

While it is true Francis has had various ills - including sciatica and knee pain which have recently led him to cancel events that put a strain on his legs and eventually forced him to use a wheelchair - resignation is not on his horizon.

The summit of cardinals will be an opportunity to address "Francis' great reform," and the pope "is perfectly fine" despite his knee pain and "will continue to govern the church," says Maradiaga.

So why the rumours?

It could be a case of one and one equaling five. First, the August changes; then the wheelchair and a few cancellations.

Then the pope has a packed schedule for July including trips to South Sudan, the Congo and another to Canada - but - no general audiences and prayer services.

Doctors recommend surgery. Francis says "I'd resign rather than undergo surgery."

Then - the big rumour reason: Francis's decision to visit the Basilica of Collemaggio where Pope Celestine V, who retired from the pontificate after curial opposition, is buried.

Pope Benedict XVI visited the site in 2009 and laid his pallium, a liturgical vestment symbolising papal authority, before the tomb. Four years later, he resigned.

Maradiaga says reading Francis' visit to the basilica as a sign of his imminent resignation constitutes a "cheap soap opera". The trip to Aquila had been planned for a long time, he says.

In his view, Francis's critics are spreading the rumours about his resignation.

At present for instance, he is faced with a "sit-down strike" by members of the Curia who oppose his reforms. That this is the case is clear: so far, the apostolic constitution has not yet been translated into any language other than Italian.

Source

• Religion News Service