Benedict XVI has said he could become the
first Pope to voluntarily resign in more than 700 years should he become
physically or mentally incapacitated.
In a book of interviews, the 83-year Pontiff
challenged centuries of Catholic Church tradition by saying that he
would not hesitate to relinquish his post if no longer felt "physically,
psychologically and spiritually" up to the job.
The papacy has traditionally been seen as a job for life, with pontiffs expected to remain at the helm of the Church until death.
The last pontiff to resign willingly was Celestine V in 1294.
But in the book, "Light of the World: The Pope, the Church, and the Sign of the Times", Benedict said: "Yes, if a Pope clearly realises that he is no longer physically, psychologically and spiritually capable of handling the duties of his office, then he has a right and, under some circumstances, also an obligation, to resign."
Pope Benedict is considered overall to be in good
health but broke his wrist last year after slipping and falling while on
holiday in the Italian Alps.
He admitted, however, that he is often taxed by his papal duties and frequent overseas visits.
"Of
course, I am sometimes concerned and I wonder whether I can make it
even from a purely physical point of view," he said in the book, which
has so far attracted most attention for his remarks on the use of
condoms being permissible in exceptional circumstances.
Earlier
this year it was revealed that his predecessor, John Paul II, signed a
document in 1989 saying that would resign if he became incurably ill,
but unlike Benedict he ordered that the possibility remain a secret
during his lifetime.
In the end, he remained in office until his death in 2005, saying it was for the good of the Catholic Church.
Benedict
made 24 new cardinals at the weekend, 10 of them Italian, leading to
speculation among Vatican observers that the next Pope could be from
Italy.
SIC: TT/UK