"I have already signed the document on my resignation. Secretary of State was then [Cardinal] Tarcisio Bertone. I signed it and told him: 'In case of impediments for medical reasons or for any other, here is my resignation,'" the 86-year-old pontiff said in an interview with Spanish press.
Rumors of the pontiff's resignation have been circulating since July, though he denied all allegations as unfounded. In August, media reported that Pope Francis suffered from severe pain in the knee joint, which caused him to use a wheelchair. In July 2021, the pontiff underwent planned surgery on his intestine.
If Pope Francis resigns, he will be the second leader of the Roman Catholic Church to step down from the papal throne in modern history. His predecessor, Benedict XVI, resigned due to deteriorating health back in 2013, and now lives in Vatican City; before him, the last Pope who relinquished his office was Gregory XII in 1415.