Canon law requires a papal resignation to be “freely and properly manifested” — as was the case when Benedict announced his resignation in 2013.In 1965, Pope Paul VI wrote letters to the ...

Such questions would have been unheard of prior to 2013, when Pope Benedict XVI resigned, becoming the first papal resignation in over 600 years. Francis revealed during the 2022 interview that he ...

The churches' second oldest pope, Francis took on the role in 2013 after Pope Benedict XVI resigned due to age and declining health. Benedict was the first pope to step down from the position in ...

A new pope is chosen after the incumbent dies or resigns. Twelve years ago, Pope Benedict XVI was the first pope to resign in nearly 600 years. At this point, as the United States Conference of ...

Francis has said he would consider it, after Pope Benedict XVI "opened the door" to popes retiring, but has shown no signs of stepping down and in fact has asserted recently that the job of pope ...

Still, Francis’ hospital stay is raising obvious questions about what happens if he loses consciousness for a prolonged period, or whether he might follow in Pope Benedict XVI’s footsteps and ...

Following the death of a pope, or in rare cases of resignation such as with Pope Benedict XVI, the Vatican convenes a papal conclave, in which the College of Cardinals come together to elect the ...

Still, Francis’ hospital stay is raising obvious questions about what happens if he loses consciousness for a prolonged period, or whether he might follow in Pope Benedict XVI’s footsteps and ...