Possibility of Pope resigning due to declining health raised as Italian PM visits him in hospital

It has been speculated that the Pope may consider resigning if his health deteriorates, particularly in light of concerns over his well-being following a visit from the Italian Prime Minister while battling pneumonia.

According to former Vatican Minister of Culture, Gianfranco Ravasi, the Pope could potentially step down if his ability to engage directly with people and communicate clearly is significantly impaired.

‘Until now, the Pope has chosen to continue his activity even when he has had knee problems, for example. 

Ravasi highlighted the Pope’s past remark about governing with the mind rather than the knee, emphasizing the pontiff’s tendency to confront challenges with resilience and determination, as he shared with an Italian radio station Rtl.

It comes after the Vatican issued an update on Pope Francis’s health, revealing that he is alert and got out of bed to eat breakfast this morning as he battles pneumonia. 

The 88-year-old pontiff has been undergoing treatment at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where he was admitted on February 14 after struggling with breathing difficulties for several days.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a brief update that the Pope had slept well and had breakfast while seated in an armchair.

It is a welcome update after reports yesterday that the Swiss Guard which protects the Pope was rehearsing his funeral, with members under a curfew as they were said to be ‘preparing for the pontiff’s death’, according to Swiss newspaper Blick.

The former Vatican Minister of Culture, Gianfranco Ravasi said The Pope (pictured) could resign if his health worsens

The Pope’s funeral is allegedly being rehearsed after the 88-year-old warned he may not survive pneumonia (pictured above is the last time the pontiff was photographed, on February 14)

Ravasi stressed on Thursday that the news that the Pope was suffering from bilateral pneumonia had caused concern in the Vatican. 

‘However, it seems that the general situation is now more positive, considering that the Pope has an overall strong physical structure that is used to dealing with demanding operations,’ Ravasi said. 

The Pope’s condition was stable and he had shown ‘slight improvement’ in results from recent blood tests, the Vatican said in its latest medical statement on Wednesday evening.

Francis received a visit on Wednesday from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, his first known VIP visitor in hospital. She said he was ‘alert and responsive’.

The pope joked with Meloni about some people betting on his death, Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported on Thursday. 

‘He hasn’t lost his proverbial sense of humour,’ Meloni said in a statement.

The news that the Pope was suffering from bilateral pneumonia had caused concern in the Vatican

Francis is suffering from double pneumonia, a serious infection that can inflame and scar both lungs and makes breathing more difficult.

The Vatican had said previously that the pope had a polymicrobial infection, which occurs when two or more micro-organisms are involved, adding that he would stay in hospital as long as necessary to tackle a ‘complex clinical situation’.

A Vatican official, who did not wish to be named because he was not authorised to speak about the pope’s condition, said on Thursday that Francis was not on a ventilator and was breathing on his own.

The Pope was able to move around his hospital room, was taking some phone calls and was continuing to do some paperwork, the official said.

The pontiff’s latest illness is the latest in a long history of health problems he has suffered over the years.

As well as fragile health, Francis has had reduced mobility in recent years, and often uses a cane or a wheelchair to move due to knee and back pain. 

He has been admitted to hospital on a number of occasions in recent years – undergoing surgery in 2021 to address a painful condition called diverticulitis and again in 2023 to repair a hernia.

Pope Francis in his wheelchair at the Vatican on the day of the Jubilee of the Armed Forces, February 9, 2025

The Argentine pontiff has led the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church since 2013.

He has often downplayed concerns about his health and has also ruled out resigning, as his predecessor Benedict XVI did, amid concerns that he cannot meet the physical and mental demands of the papacy. 

Despite his age and health woes, Francis has remained very active in recent months, completing in September a four-nation trip — the longest of his papacy in terms of in duration and distance. 

‘I am well,’ Pope Francis said in January. ‘The Church is governed using the head and the heart, not the legs.’

He said it was ’embarrassing at first to have to use a wheelchair, but old age never arrives by itself, and it must be accepted for what it is.’

The Pope reiterated that he does physiotherapy twice a week, uses a walking stick and does as many steps as he can as he continues to carry out his duties.

Last month the pontiff injured his right arm in a fall at his Santa Marta home, the Holy See said, adding that he did not suffer any fractures.