Pope Francis slows down due to age and knee problems

Pope Francis takes things easy due to his advanced age and health problems. He told reporters that after a six-day visit to Canada. “I don’t think I can make as many trips as before,” said the 85-year-old bishop on the papal plane. The trip for him was a “little test”.

The 85-year-old Roman Catholic leader said his papacy had entered a “new, slower phase”. He stressed that he is not considering resigning for the time being, but “the door is open.” “Even today I haven’t used the door. I didn’t see the need to think about that option, but that doesn’t mean I won’t do it the day after tomorrow.”

The Pope has said several times that there is a chance to resign from office prematurely, like his predecessor Benedict. “This is not a disaster. There can be a change of popes, this is not a problem.” Benedict stepped down in 2013 due to his advanced age and health reasons. The former church leader, now 95, has since held the title of honorary pope and still lives in the Vatican.

The Pope spoke to reporters on the return trip to Rome:

Francis has long struggled with his knee and has been in Canada in a wheelchair most of the time. Problems can be solved with surgery, but the Pope does not want to go under the knife anymore. This is because he still experienced the side effects of anesthesia during his bowel operation a year ago.

This month there was also a trip to Africa in the program, but due to knee problems, the Pope had to leave it. On his return flight from Canada, he said he now wanted to visit those countries first before deciding on other flights. “I have good faith, but we have to see what the leg says,” Francis said.

The Pope was in Canada for himself to apologize for abuse in Catholic boarding schools. In those schools, Aboriginal children were forced to assimilate. They had to get rid of their language, culture and religion.

This amounts to cultural genocide, Francis said on the papal plane. After an apology on Monday, he was criticized for not using the word “genocide” as the victims had hoped. “It is true that I did not use that word,” Francis said. “It didn’t happen to me, but what I described was genocide.”