Pope Francis May Be Resigning Soon Following Some Health Problems

After almost a decade, Pope Francis may be saying goodbye to his position as leader of the Catholic Church. This follows several rumors around the Vatican that the 85-year-old was in really bad health.

On Thursday, he was seen by the public in a wheelchair for the first time, and this fueled the rumors. He was reportedly confined to the chair following a severe knee ache. He has also canceled some of his trips scheduled for this year.

Recently, his office reported that he had canceled his trips to South Sudan and Congo in Africa scheduled for July. Another trip to Jordan, Israel, and Lebanon was also canceled in May as a result of the knee problems. Keep reading to find out more details on the rumors. 

Another thing that triggered the rumors was the Pope’s recent decision to schedule a meeting to name some cardinals at a very unusual time. He arranged for the meeting during a vacation month for the Vatican citizens.

It was scheduled to be held on August 27th, and he planned to create 21 new cardinals during the slow summer month in the city. Sixteen of the cardinals would be under 80 years of age and should therefore be able to take his place if he stepped down.

The Pope has created about 83 cardinals since his election nine years ago, and members of the Church respect him for his progress. Some of them also believe that the rumors are false.

Francis resumed duties back in 2013 and has since improved the constitution, among other things, in the Church. Several Vatican followers are proud of him and don’t think he will be stepping down just yet. 

A source reportedly told the French news agency AFP that most people didn’t truly believe that he had plans to resign. “In the pope’s entourage, the majority of people don’t really believe in the possibility of a resignation,” the source said.

Marco Politi, a Vatican expert, also told the agency that the rumors were ridiculous and “nothing new.” He also insisted that they were “often fuelled by those with an interest” in seeing the Pope resign. “Those rumours are encouraged by the pope’s opponents who are only eager to see Francis leave,” he emphasized.

He also revealed that the Pope was receiving treatment and therapy for his bad knee and would be fine in no time. The Pope may also be dealing with other health problems as he reportedly had a part of his lungs removed as a child. The procedure causes recurring nerve pain.

Rumors about Francis’ resignation also went around last year after the Pope had colon surgery. This prompted him to announce on a Spanish radio station that “the idea” of leaving “hadn’t even crossed [his] mind.” Politi urged fans to be realistic about the situation regarding the latest rumors. He said, “At this stage, it is a question of being realistic and not alarmist.”

He also insisted that resignation was “hard to imagine” as the Pope had a lot on his plate, including the Synod of Bishops. In summary, this was an idea that the Pope intended to use to develop the Church. Currently ongoing, it was initially slated to be completed in 2023.

However, some fans worry about his well-being and believe he’d likely follow in the former Pope’s footsteps. After some consideration, Pope Benedict officially resigned as leader following some health concerns.

Former Pope Benedict, the leader before Pope Francis, reportedly resigned as Pope in 2013 because of his failing health. At the time, he struggled with his mental and physical health and had to step down to take care of himself. 

It, therefore, wouldn’t surprise fans if Pope Francis did the same. During his meeting with some bishops in May, he addressed the issues with his knee and said, “Rather than operate, I’ll resign.” 

Several Italian newspapers reported this, and rumors about his resignation started spreading. However, no official word has been said to refute or confirm them.