Francis has no plan to resign, at least not right now. After years of speculation about his health, the Argentine Pope has closed the door on a possibility he calls distant. This stance comes from Jorge Bergoglio himself, according to an excerpt from an autobiography written by Fabio Marchese Ragona, a Vatican expert and close friend of the Pontiff. HarperCollins, the New York publisher, will release the book, and fragments were first revealed this Thursday by the Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera.
In the volume, titled “Life. My Story in History,” and slated for release next week in several European and American markets, the Pope makes his current position on resigning explicit. He states that a resignation is unlikely because he does not perceive the necessary conditions. “The Petrine ministry is for life,” he adds, underscoring his commitment to the office.
“Some may have expected that after a hospital admission I would step down, but that risk does not exist: by God’s grace, I enjoy good health.”
He clarifies that his decision would change only if a severe physical impediment emerged. In that scenario, he says he would have already signed a resignation letter at the outset of his pontificate and left it with the Secretariat of State. He also explains that, in the event of resignation, he would not be called ‘Pope Emeritus’ (as Joseph Ratzinger was), but simply bishop emeritus of Rome. He even mentions a possible move to the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome to return to serving as a confessor and to bring communion to the sick.
He stresses that this remains a distant hypothesis. “I do not have serious reasons to think about stepping down,” he states. And with that, the Pope sends a clear message to those who expect him to leave office. “Some may have hoped over the years that, perhaps after a hospital admission, I would make an announcement of this kind, but the risk does not exist: by God’s grace, I enjoy good health,” he notes.
Intrigues within the Vatican
Returning to the many intrigues inside the Vatican in recent years and the frequent attacks against him, Francis does not hide the harm caused by accusations that he wishes to wreck the papal institution. “It is true that the Vatican is like the last absolute monarchy in Europe, where court-like reasoning and maneuvers often unfold, but these schemes must be abandoned,” he argues. He therefore counsels those who cheer when his health falters to remain calm.
Francis also reflects on his relationship with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, describing a sadness over how the emeritus figure has been instrumentalized for ideological and political purposes by people without scruples who, refusing Benedict’s resignation, have sought their own gain and a personal corner to cultivate, underestimating the risk of a fracture within the Church. “In ten years, the controversies have not been scarce and they have harmed both of us,” he observes.
Wars and migrants
With Ragona’s transcripts and commentary guiding him, Francis also revisits moments from his family history, starting with the emigration of his Italian grandparents to Argentina in February 1929. “After two weeks at sea, they arrived in Argentina and were welcomed at the Immigrants Hotel in Buenos Aires, a center that offered lodging for those who carried hope in their bags,” he explains. In an early chapter, he recounts how his grandparents barely escaped a different fate when another ship sank, leaving hundreds of other immigrants without passage because of economic constraints.
“My teacher, a decisive presence: Ester was a formidable woman. I owe her much. She was a genuine communist, an atheist who respected faith: she held strong ideas, yet never attacked faith.”
Tough times echo the experiences of many Italian men who, during World War II, did not want to go to the front. Some sought work in rural fields, with women alerting them to inspectors by signaling with clothing colors. Red garments warned of a patrol’s approach, while white garments suggested freedom to continue working and moving about unseen. Francis recalls these episodes as a memory of resilience and shared hardship.
He also recalls a teacher who left a lasting mark and the terrible dictatorship that followed in Argentina. During the 1976–1983 dictatorship, Bergoglio tried to shield his teacher by hiding her books, an effort that ultimately failed. Ester was abducted, tortured, and thrown from a plane. “It was the genocide of a generation,” the Pope reflects.
Speaking about critics who call him a communist, he argues that discussing the poor does not automatically equate to communism. The poor are the banner of the Gospel and lie at the heart of Jesus. Within Christian communities, property was shared; this was not a political doctrine but a reflection of Christian life and charity.
In this broader narrative, the Pope emphasizes humility and service, underscoring that the Church’s mission is to accompany the vulnerable, not to advance a political agenda. The reflections reveal a leader who sees his role as a guardian of conscience, rooted in faith and a deep sense of responsibility toward history and humanity. The pages offer a portrait of a man who navigates power, memory, and the call to serve with mercy, even amid fierce public scrutiny [Source: Ragona interview excerpts, HarperCollins publicity materials].