Pope Francis talks about himself in an autobiography entitled “Life. My story in history”.
Excerpts from the Holy Father's book-confession were published today by Corriere della Sera in a world preview.
Numerous topics were discussed starting with his health conditions . Bergoglio, for example, states that when someone is hospitalized , he is «more interested in politics, in campaigning, almost thinking of a new conclave . Don't worry, it's human, there's no need to be shocked! When the Pope is in hospital, a lot of thoughts go on, and there are also those who speculate for their own gain or for profit in the newspapers."
Then Covid : «When the first dose arrived in the Vatican, I booked in immediately and then also did the booster shots and, thank God, I was never infected ».
On the hypothesis of resignation , Francis explains in the book: «I think that the Petrine ministry is ad vitam and therefore I see no conditions for a resignation . Things would change if a serious physical impediment occurred, and in that case I already signed the letter with the resignation at the beginning of the pontificate which is deposited in the Secretariat of State . If this were to happen, I would not call myself Pope Emeritus, but simply Bishop Emeritus of Rome, and I would move to Santa Maria Maggiore to return to being a confessor and bringing communion to the sick."
The pontiff also talks about his Italian origins ( "Piedmontese was my first mother tongue" ) and his youth in parallel with the great events of history. Starting from the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki: «The use of atomic energy for war purposes is a crime against man, against his dignity and against any possibility of a future in our common home», says Bergoglio.
Francis also says that as a Jesuit he would have liked to be a missionary in Japan , but that he was not allowed to due to his health conditions: «If they had sent me to that mission land, my life would have taken a different path; and maybe someone in the Vatican would have been better than now."
