The Pope's health: I could step down - but not yet, says pontiff

[muriel_volestrangler]

Pope Francis has said the time may soon come when he needs to consider stepping down - and would do so if he felt his health meant that could not serve in the way he should.
...
The 85-year-old pontiff stressed that for the moment he intends to continue in his duties - and will be guided by God as to when he will step down, if he steps down at all.

"It is not a catastrophe to change Pope, it is not a taboo," he told journalists from a wheelchair on the plane from Canada's Arctic territory to Rome.

"The door [to retiring] is open - it is a normal option. But until today I have not knocked on that door. I have not felt the need to think about this possibility - that is not to say that in two days' time I might not start thinking about it."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-62360114

Wouldn't be a bad thing to stop keeping popes hanging on as long as possible, when they become less and less able to make new plans. Staying on till death is inherently conservative.

[Demovictory9]

1. Take some SCOTUS with you

[jimfields33]

2. He is from South America living in Italy

Probably has no idea about our government except that we have a president and speaker Pelosi runs the house.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. He's also a head of state, who will keep up with world current affairs

And Rome is not cut off; for instance, it's where Alito went to laugh about taking away abortion rights:

Samuel Alito mocks foreign critics of repealing Roe v. Wade in Rome speech on religious liberty

(CNN)Justice Samuel Alito, appearing for the first time in public since penning the opinion that reversed Roe v. Wade, mocked foreign criticism of the decision during a speech he delivered in Rome.

Alito -- sporting a new beard -- gave the talk that was largely dedicated to protecting religious liberty last week, but it was only publicized on Thursday by Notre Dame Law School.
...
"I had the honor this term of writing I think the only Supreme Court decision in the history of that institution that has been lambasted by a whole string of foreign leaders," Alito said, noting they felt "perfectly fine commenting on American law."

He noted one of the critics was UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has announced his plan to resign in early July, days after the opinion was issued.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/07/28/politics/samuel-alito-religious-liberty-notre-dame-rome/index.html

Of course, Alito was fine basing his "reasoning" on centuries-old legal decisions from the country he now says has no business commenting on it. FWIW, Johnson was asked about it at a news conference:

"It's a very important decision. I've got to tell you, I think it's a big step backwards," he told a news conference in Kigali, where he is attending a Commonwealth meeting.

"I've always believed in a woman's right to choose and I stick to that view and that is why the UK has the laws that it does."

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uks-boris-johnson-says-us-abortion-decision-is-big-step-backwards-2022-06-24/

[lapfog_1]

4. Queen Elizabeth II to Pope Francis "hold my beer"