Can the Pope abdicate?
A. In the 1980’s, concerned by the fact that medical advances can maintain a person’s life much longer, that there could exist the possibility of a Pope having to rule from a hospital bed, and in consideration of the arduous task of leading the Church, the Holy Father approved a revision to the Church’s Canon Law that now provides for the retirement of a Pope. Should a Pope decide to abdicate, it must be voluntary. Since the College of Cardinals is responsible for the election of a successor, the Pope who abdicates must do so in the hands of the College of Cardinals.
