Francis said the withdrawal “is one of the options” and that it would not be a catastrophe

This was assured by Pope Francis “the door is open” to his possible resignation to the pontificate. However, he noted that he has not yet thought about this possibility, adding that it would not be “a catastrophe” anyway. He was at a press conference on the flight back to Rome from his six-day visit to Canada.

The Argentine Pontiff addressed this issue several times during the press conference, as well as its physical limitations, due to the fact that he has to move in a Wheelchair due to a knee problem, which prevents him from walking and standing for long.

For this he admitted, on this occasion, not standing as usual, but sitting on a chair in front of the journalists, who I don’t think I can continue “with the same pace of travel before”.

“At my age and with this limitation I have to save a little my strength to be able to serve the Church” or “on the contrary, think about the possibility of push me aside“he said during a press conference over 45 minutes after the hard day he traveled from Quebec to Iqualuit to meet the Inuit population.

The Pope has denied on several occasions, especially after the insistent rumors about a possible resignation, that he had thought about the possibility of leaving the office, but this Saturday he made it clear that is one of the future options following the example of Pope Benedict XVI, who resigned from his pontificate in February 2013, after having assured that he lacked strength.

“The door is open and is one of the options, but so far I have not knocked on this door. I haven’t felt that possibility yet, but that doesn’t mean I won’t start thinking about it tomorrow, “Francis said.

And he stressed that “it would not be something strange” or “a catastrophe”.

“You can change dadthere are no problems, “he added.

Francis also explained that any kind of decision will be “the Lord’s will”. «If the Lord tells you that you must go to the corner, you go to the corner», he underlined and specified «that he hasn’t heard that call yet“.

Regarding knee pain, she explained that although doctors say she may have surgery, she won’t do it because have a problem with anesthesia, as it hit him during colon surgery in July last year and still has “some effects”. “You don’t play with anesthesia and that’s why you think it’s not convenient (the operation),” she said.

The Pontiff assured this will continue to try to travel “Because it is a way of being close to the people and it is a way of serving”, and that trips to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are still pending, “but already next year,” he said.

Regarding the possible trip to Ukraine, he reiterated that “he He wants to gobut, he added: “We will see what I will find when I get home”, referring to how the organization of the eventual visit to kyiv continues, while he confirmed that he could be in Kazakhstan “because it is a peaceful journey” for the Congress on Religions that will be held on 14 and 15 September.

“Genocide”

On the other hand, Francis recognized that the Church’s treatment of indigenous people in Canada and the abuses committed in Catholic colleges were part of a “genocide”.

“I didn’t say the word [en Canadá] because it didn’t occur to me, but I described a genocide. Y I apologized for that processthat it was genocide, “the pope told reporters aboard the plane that took him to Rome.

Since his arrival in Canada last Monday, the Argentine Pontiff he apologized for the “harm” caused to indigenous peoples for the abuses committed for decades in Catholic institutions.

“I condemned all of this. Kidnapping, change of culture, change of mentality, change of traditions, change of a race, let’s say, a whole culture. Yes, genocide is a technical word. I didn’t use it because it didn’t. comes to mind I have described it, it is true, it is genocide“, he highlighted.

Sources: EFE and AFP.