Might Pope Francis resign? Speculation has been bubbling away in Rome since he cancelled his July trip to Africa. There are two schools of thought. The first considers that Francis will continue in office until “the end”; in other words, that he is looking to the jubilee year of 2025 and will not resign while Benedict XVI is still alive. This view is held both by some of the Pope’s closest supporters and by some of his most fervent opponents. Although it may have been true in the past that Francis intended to stay in post as long as Benedict was alive, that is no longer set in stone.

The second school of thought considers a resignation more likely, and that the Pope is “creating the space” in which this might happen. His move to call a consistory to create new cardinals during the holiday month of August is highly unusual, and he is continuing to pack in a huge number of meetings. One Vatican official told me the Pope has an “awareness that it is an uncertain time for the Church” and could be planning accordingly.