open francis has hinted that he could retire if his declining health made it impossible for him to become the head of the Catholic Church.
Francis, 85, is struggling with his mobility and has been forced to use a wheelchair after suffering from strained ligaments in his right knee for several months.
He has now admitted he can’t travel like he used to, adding that his recent week-long Canadian pilgrimage was “a bit of a test” that showed he needs to slow down and possibly retire one day.
Speaking to reporters as he traveled home from north Nunavut, Francis emphasized that he hadn’t thought of stepping down, but said “the door is open” and that there was nothing wrong with a pope’s resignation .
“It is not strange. It’s not a disaster. You can change the Pope,” he said as he sat in an airplane wheelchair during a 45-minute press conference.
Francis said that while he hadn’t considered stepping down until now, he realizes he needs to at least slow down.
“I think at my age and with these limitations I have to save (my energy) to serve the Church, or on the contrary, think about the possibility of stepping aside,” he said.
Francis was peppered with questions about the future of his pontificate after the maiden voyage in which he used a wheelchair, walker and cane to get around, severely limiting his program and ability to mingle with the crowd.
He strained his right knee ligaments earlier this year, and ongoing laser and magnetic therapy forced him to cancel a trip to Africa scheduled for the first week of July.
The journey to Canada was difficult and there were several times when Francis was clearly in pain as he maneuvered going up and down seats.
Francis ruled out surgery on his knee, saying it wouldn’t necessarily help, noting that “there are still traces” of the effects of undergoing more than six hours of anesthesia in July 2021 at 33 centimeters (13 inches) from his large intestine.
“I will try to keep doing the trips and being close to the people because I think it’s a way to serve, to be close. But I can’t say more than this,” he said on Saturday.