The predecessor of Pope Francis was the first pontiff in some 600 years to retirebut Francis says he has no plans to resign and is even considering a possible trip to the US
In a historic Vatican City interview with CBS Evening News anchor and editor-in-chief Norah O'Donnell, the 87-year-old leader of the world's nearly 1.4 billion Catholics said the idea of resigning had never crossed her mind.
“Maybe if the day comes when my health can't go any further,” Francis said. “Maybe because the only ailment I have is in my knee, and that's getting a lot better. But it hasn't crossed my mind.”
Francis, who assumed the papacy in 2013, aged 76, he now uses a wheelchair but described his health as “good”.
Past health problems for Pope Francis
As one of the oldest popes in the history of the Church, Francis has dealt with various health problems, including the flu and two rounds of intestinal surgery. The pope also has only one plenum lung.
Francis, who is from Argentina, had “a good chunk” of an infected lung removed when he was younger, according to his authorized biographer, Sergio Rubin.
In “Life: My Story Through History,” a memoir published earlier this year, Francis wrote about hospital stays i medical treatmentssaying he knows people are speculating about the next conclave and a new pope.
“Relax. He's human. Nothing shocking,” he writes.
Last year, the the pope was hospitalized for three days with what the Vatican called bronchitis, but the pope later described as a case of pneumonia. Pope Francis did it too abdominal surgery last June to repair a hernia and remove painful scars.
Benedict XVI, the pope who retired in 2013, cited his declining health before giving up. He died in 2022 at the age of 95.
There are no plans to slow down, with a possible trip to the US in the future
Pope Francis has kept a busy schedule over the past decade, traveling to more than 60 countries. He has scheduled trips to the Far East and Belgium.
In September, Francis plans to visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore. The trip to Belgium is also planned for September.
Francis said he may also visit the United States, “depending on whether I have to go speak at the United Nations.” He added: “It's a possibility. I'm not sure.”
O'Donnell asked what he wanted to talk about there, and Francis replied: “If I'm going, it's to talk about peace.”
The possible trip is one of many topics the pontiff addressed in an hour-long interview with O'Donnell that aired Monday at 10 p.m. ET on CBS and is streaming on Paramount+.
