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Pope Francis in the Vatican (2021)
Photo: Andreas Solaro / AFP
Rumors have been circulating in the Catholic Church for some time that the Pope is allegedly seriously ill and that he, like his predecessor, will become Pope Benedict XVI.
could resign from office prematurely.
Now the pontiff has rejected such speculation.
"It never occurred to me," said the 85-year-old leader of the Roman Catholic Church in an interview published Monday.
The Reuters news agency had taken an upcoming visit by the Pope to L'Aquila, Italy, as an opportunity to inquire.
The history of the city is closely linked to Pope Celestine V, who renounced the papal office in 1294.
Pope Benedict XVI
had attended L'Aquila four years before retiring in 2013.
"All of these coincidences lead some to think that the same 'liturgy' could take place," Francis said.
'But that never occurred to me.
For the moment no, for the moment no.
Really.” The pope reiterated his oft-stated position that he could one day resign rather than serve for life should his health make it impossible for him to lead the church.
When asked when that might be, he said, "We don't know.
God will say.'
In the exclusive interview at his Vatican residence, Francis also denied rumors that he was suffering from cancer.
He joked that his doctors "didn't tell me anything about it."
The Pope described the speculation as Vatican “court gossip”.
The rumors of cancer emerged after he underwent surgery to remove part of his colon.
Francis suffers from diverticulitis, a disease common in older people.
"The operation was a great success," said the Pope.
At the same time, Francis gave details of his knee disease, which is handicapping him.
Francis, who entered the room alone and unaided with a cane, said his knee problem was caused by a "minor fracture".
He contracted it when he stumbled when a ligament in his right knee became inflamed.
"I'm fine, I'm getting better," he said, adding that calcification of the fracture was ongoing.
His treatment includes laser and magnetic therapy.
He said he was against surgery on his knee because he didn't want the negative side effects of general anesthesia to repeat itself after his six-hour bowel surgery last year.
In an interview with the Argentine journalist Bernarda Llorente at the beginning of July, the Pronifex said that he never expected to become pope.
"I came to the Vatican with a small suitcase, with the clothes I had on and little more." He assumed he would be back home in Argentina for Palm Sunday, he had already prepared his sermons.
"I never imagined I would be here."
When asked what his old self, i.e. Jorge Bergoglio, would think of today's Pope Francis, he said: "You poor thing, what you have to do there!" But it's not that tragic to be pope: "You can be a good shepherd.«
He learned to be more merciful.
There were phases in his life when he was very rigid and asked too much: "Then I understood that you don't have to follow a road, you have to lead over it."
Asked if the faithful would have anything from Pope Francis for a while, he said, "We should leave that to him up there."
ala/Reuters
