In a recent book, Pope Francis, who turned 88 last month, stated that he is in good health and has no intention of stepping down as head of the Catholic Church worldwide, reports RTE.
“I am well,” the pontiff states in an autobiography on sale in more than 100 countries. “The reality is, quite simply, that I am old.”
The pope states: “The Church is governed using the head and the heart, not the legs.” He is currently frequently in a wheelchair because of back and knee trouble, reports RTE.
Since 2013, Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope and native of Argentina, has presided over the Church, which has 1.4 billion members.
In the last two years, he has experienced influenza and associated issues many times. Additionally, he underwent surgery in 2021 to treat diverticulitis, a painful ailment, and again in 2023 to repair a hernia, reports RTE.
“Each time a pope takes ill, the winds of a conclave always feel as if they are blowing,” Pope Francis states in the book, referring to the secret meeting of Catholic cardinals that will one day elect the next pontiff.
“The reality is that even during the days of surgery I never thought of resigning,” he says, reports RTE.
“Hope” is the title of the latest volume, the second of the pope’s two books in two years, after a memoir published in March 2024, reports RTE.
According to Mondadori, the book’s Italian publisher, Pope Francis had initially intended for the next volume to be published following his passing.
The pope, however, determined that it should be released during the current Catholic Holy Year, which is likewise emphasising the idea of hope.
In the 303-page book, the pope discusses his upbringing in Buenos Aires, his tenure as an Argentinean bishop, and some of the choices he has taken as head of the Catholic Church worldwide, reports RTE.
Pope Francis vehemently supports a 2024 ruling that permits priests to provide blessings for same-sex couples on an individual basis.
“It is the people who are blessed, not the relationships,” he states. “Everyone in the Church is invited (for a blessing), including people who are divorced, including people who are homosexual, including people who are transgender,” reports RTE.
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