VATICAN: Only Pope John Paul can decide if it would be good for the Catholic Church for him to retire and not reign for life, his secretary of state said yesterday.
"Let's leave that up to the conscience of the Pope," Cardinal Angelo Sodano told reporters, when asked if he had considered stepping down.
The frail, 84-year-old Pope was rushed to hospital with breathing problems last week, once again reviving debate on what the church would do if he became permanently incapacitated.
Most Catholic leaders believe the Pope will stay in office until he dies, but Dr Sodano's comments indicated he could retire.
"If there is a man of the church who is guided by the Holy Spirit, if there is a man who loves the church more than anyone else, if there is a man who is possessed with marvellous wisdom, it is the Pope," the cardinal said. "He knows what he has to do."
Asked if the Pope could continue to run the church if he had difficulty speaking, Dr Sodano said: "Certainly . . . unlike in society, in the church age is very useful. For the church the wisdom of an old man is a gift." - (Reuters)