Injured knee ligaments are preventing Pope Francis from travelling as much as he once could and his recent visit to Canada was one of the rare recent occasions in which he left Europe.
Speaking after that trip, during which the Pope made a historic apology for the church’s role in indigenous residential schools, he hinted that he might abdicate at some point in the near future.
He described the week-long pilgrimage to Canada as “a bit of a test” and revealed he needed to slow down and eventually retire.
While he emphasised that he had not considered stepping down yet, he told reporters that it wouldn’t be a major issue if he does take that path.
“It’s not a catastrophe, you can change the Pope,” the 85-year-old said.
“I think at my age and with these limitations, I have to save my energy to be able to serve the church or, on the contrary, think about the possibility of stepping aside.
“I’ll try to continue to do the trips and be close to people because I think it’s a way of servicing, being close, but more than this I can’t say.”
What is Pope Francis’ health issue?
Francis has already stated that, should his health need it, he may follow his predecessor Benedict XVI, who made history in 2013 by resigning owing to failing physical and mental health.
Francis navigated his journey with the aid of a wheelchair, walker, and cane. He injured ligaments in his right knee earlier this year and, because of laser and magnetic therapy, he had to postpone a trip to Africa, which was supposed to take place in the first week of July.
The trip to Canada was challenging, and there were multiple times when Francis was visibly in pain as he struggled to get up and down from seats.
Francis decided against undergoing knee surgery because he felt it would not necessarily be beneficial.
