"A word can be interpreted one way or another, can't it? These things happen. And what do I know ... I don't know where they got it from last week that I was about to resign! in my country? That's where the news came out. And they say it caused a sensation, when it didn't even cross my mind. Faced with interpretations that are born a little distorted of some of my words, I remain silent, because clarifying is worse ".
This was stated by Pope Francis in the interview with the Spanish Catholic radio Cope.
The Pope recounts in detail in the long interview, broadcast this morning in its full version, the story of the nurse who "saved his life", already briefly anticipated by Cope in recent days. "These things that arise from the diverticula ... and what do I know ... in those parts they deform, necrotize ... but thank God it was taken in time, and you see me", explains Francesco about his operation at colon on July 4th, after jokingly replied "I'm still alive". And on the action of a nurse he continues: "He saved my life! He told me: 'He must undergo surgery.' There were other opinions: 'No, but what antibiotics ...', and he explained it to me very well. He's a nurse from here, from our health service, from the Vatican hospital. He's been here for thirty years,a man of great experience. This is the second time in my life that a nurse has saved my life ".
The first time was in the year '57, when they thought it was a flu, one of those flu epidemics in the seminary, and the seminary nurse treated me with aspirin - says Francesco -. And for the others it was fine, but it didn't work with me and they took me to the hospital, and they took water out of my lung. The doctor said, I don't remember how much, let's say a million units of penicillin and a lot of streptomycin - they were the only antibiotics of the time - and, when she left, the nurse said: 'Double it.' "And that saved her. ? "Yes, because otherwise I wouldn't be here ...".
Still on the subject of his colon surgery, the Pope confirms that "it was all planned and it was made known ... After the Angelus I went directly, it must have been almost one o'clock, and it was communicated at 15.30, when I was already in foreplay ".
"Now I can eat anything, which was not possible before with diverticula - he explains -. I can eat anything. I still have the postoperative medicines, because the brain has to register that it has 33 centimeters less intestine. And everything is managed. from my brain, the brain manages our whole body and it takes time to register. But normal life, I lead a totally normal life. "
And to say that he walks, he makes an effort: "Today all morning in audiences, all morning".
In addition, about the media's insistence on his possible resignation, he replies: "Yes, they also told me that last week it was fashionable. Eva told me (Fernandez, the Vatican correspondent of Radio Cope, ed) , she also told me with a very nice Argentine expression, and I told her that I had no idea because I only read one newspaper here in the morning, the Rome newspaper. I read it because I like the way it is owner , I read it quickly and point, I don't go into the game. I don't watch television. And I get, yes, the report more or less of the news of the day, but I learned about that much later, a few days later, that there was one thing. about the fact that I gave up. Whenever a Pope is sick, there is a breeze or a hurricane of Conclave (laughs) ".