‘Papacy for life’: Francis stayed true to his belief

Vatican City: Pope Benedict XVI stunned the world when he announced his resignation in 2013, the first in 600 years. That led some to wonder if, as he grew increasingly frail and sick, Pope Francis would follow that precedent.

While Francis kept open the possibility, and even had a resignation letter prepared, he said more recently that he believed that the papacy was for life. And he ultimately lived out that belief, serving in his ministry until his death on Monday, at the age of 88.

Benedict, even before his resignation, he had argued that a pontiff should step aside if he got too old or infirm to do the role. It was nonetheless a shock when he announced in Latin that his “strength of mind and body” had diminished and that he couldn’t carry on.

In his 2024 memoir, “Life: My Story Through History,” Francis recounted how, when he was still the archbishop of Buenos Aires, he thought he had misunderstood the news when he first learned about Benedict’s resignation.

“For a moment I was paralyzed. I could hardly believe what I was hearing,” Francis wrote. “This was news I had never expected to receive

in my lifetime.”