Pope Francis said he would not live in the Vatican or return to his native Argentina if and when he ever retires, but would like to find a church in Rome where he could continue to hear confessions. “I am the bishop of Rome, in this case the bishop emeritus of Rome,” Francis said in an interview with Spanish-language television station TelevisaUnivision that aired Tuesday. Francis, 85, denied he planned to retire soon but reiterated that “the door is open” after Pope Benedict XVI in 2013 became the first pope in 600 years to resign. While having a retired pope has gone well, the Vatican needs to better regulate the figure of an emeritus pope, Francis said in the interview. Some cardinals and legal lawyers have long questioned Benedict’s decisions in retirement, including continuing to wear the white cassock of the papacy and retaining his papal name, Benedict, rather than reverting to his birth name, Joseph Ratzinger. They say those choices and Benedict’s continued presence in the Vatican have created confusion among the faithful and allowed traditional critics of Francis to use Benedict as a conservative point of reference, threatening the unity of the Catholic Church. “The first experience went rather well because he is a holy and discreet man and he handled it well,” Francis said of Benedict in the interview. “But in the future, things will have to be more delineated or things will have to be made clearer.” “I think after taking the first step after so many centuries, he gets 10 points. It’s a miracle,” Francis added. Francis also said he would step in if the time was right before he died while still serving, “if I survive.” He said “definitely not” when asked if he would live in the Vatican as a retired pope or return to Argentina, and said “maybe” when it was suggested that he settle in the Basilica of St. John Lateran, which is the traditional seat of the bishop of Rome. He recalled that he had planned to retire as archbishop of Buenos Aires at the time of the 2013 conclave that resulted in him becoming pope. Francis said he had prepared a nice apartment in Buenos Aires where he could continue to hear confessions in a nearby church and visit the sick in a hospital. “That’s what I thought about Buenos Aires. I think that scenario, if I survive to a resignation – I’m likely to die before – I’d like something like that,” he said. The interview covered other topics. On whether Catholic politicians who support abortion rights should continue to receive the sacraments, Francis reiterated that it was a matter of conscience for elected officials to work on their own. While the Catholic Church opposes abortion, Francis added that priests and bishops should remain pastors. “When a pastor loses the pastoral dimension, it creates a political problem,” Francis said, referring to the “polarized” debate in the United States over President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Catholics who support abortion rights. The US bishops considered reprimanding Biden for his support of abortion rights, but ultimately withdrew a formal reprimand. Pelosi’s bishop, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, has banned her from Communion in his archdiocese, although she recently received Communion during a papal service in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. Asked what these Catholic politicians should do, Francis said: “I leave it to his conscience and to speak to his bishop, to his pastor, to his parish priest, about this inconsistency.” The Morning Update and Afternoon Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.
