ROME – Pope Francis has said he will reduce his duties or retire because of severe knee pain that limits his mobility. He told reporters on the plane while returning from a six-day penitential trip in Canada that the pope could be replaced and that there was nothing unusual about that. I was not thinking about retiring. The Pope also said that he understood from the difficulties of the trip to Canada that he could not proceed as before.
The Pope travels with the help of a wheelchair, walker and cane. The Pope also said that he will not be ready for the knee surgery as he is still suffering from the 6-hour anesthesia for colon surgery in July last year.
At his last ceremony in Canada’s Arctic region of Nunavut, the Pope again apologized for the brutality faced by indigenous peoples in residential schools. The Pope also said that what happened in Catholic residential schools in Canada is cultural genocide.
In 2015, Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission called it cultural genocide. The Pope also stated that he is not against a change in the church’s position on contraception.
It is hoped that he will be able to participate in the interfaith conference in Kazakhstan in September. There may also be a meeting with Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, who has defended Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Pope said that he is also interested in visiting Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.
English Summary: Pope says he will slow down or retire