Pope Francis, who celebrated his 88th birthday last month, has expressed in a recent book that he feels healthy and has no intention of stepping down from his role as the head of the global Catholic Church.
“I am well,” the pontiff mentions in an autobiography available in over 100 countries. “The reality is, quite simply, that I am old.”
Due to ongoing knee and back pain, the pope frequently uses a wheelchair, stating: “The Church is governed using the head and the heart, not the legs.”
Originally from Argentina, Pope Francis is the first pope from Latin America and has been leading the 1.4 billion-member Church since 2013.
“Each time a pope falls ill, the winds of a conclave always seem to be stirring,” Pope Francis remarks in his book, alluding to the secret gathering of Catholic cardinals that will eventually select the next pontiff.
“The truth is that even during my surgery days, I never entertained the thought of resigning,” he shares.
Pope Francis delivering his Christmas Urbi Et Orbi Blessing last month
The new book, titled “Hope”, is the second release in two years from the pope, following a memoir that was published in March 2024.
Mondadori, the Italian publisher of the book, revealed that the new volume was originally intended by Pope Francis to be published posthumously.
Nonetheless, the pope opted to release it during the ongoing Catholic Holy Year, which focuses on the theme of hope.
Throughout the 303-page book, he reflects on his upbringing in Buenos Aires, his tenure as a bishop in Argentina, and several key decisions he has made as the leader of the global Catholic Church.
Pope Francis strongly supports a 2024 decision that allows priests to offer blessings to same-sex couples on a case-by-case basis.
This decision has provoked considerable debate within the Church, with bishops in various countries, particularly in Africa, refusing to allow their priests to implement it.
“It is the people who are blessed, not the relationships,” he states. “Everyone in the Church is welcome to receive a blessing, including divorced individuals, people who are homosexual, and those who are transgender.”
“Homosexuality is not a crime; it is a human reality,” he asserts.
