Pope Francis has said there may be a time when he should consider the possibility of stepping down as head of the Catholic Church and will do so if his health does not prevent him from serving the position he needs. “But it’s not something he’s thinking about right now,” he said.
“(The resignation door) is open – that’s a normal option. But I haven’t knocked on that door until now. I didn’t need to think about that possibility. Regards,” he said.
The comments came at the end of a trip to Canada where the church apologized to indigenous people for its role in the old schools, whose function was to assimilate indigenous peoples and destroy their indigenous culture and language.
It was an extensive and grueling programming trip.
Francis, 85, reaffirmed his intention to continue in his post and said that if he resigned, he would be guided by God.
“Changing popes is not a disaster, it’s not a taboo,” he told reporters sitting in wheelchairs on the papal plane returning from Canada to Rome.
In recent months, Francisco has suffered from a knee problem that affects his mobility. He spent most of his Canada tour in a wheelchair.
But despite accepting the limitations of his age, he had reassured that he did not have more serious health problems.
“This trip was intense,” he told reporters. “With the limitations of this knee, I don’t think I’ll be able to continue traveling as I used to at my age. Either I save some money to continue serving the church or I have to start thinking about the possibility. of leaving.”
Benedict XVI, the pope who resigned in 2013, also said he planned to visit Ukraine, but would seek advice from his doctors first.
His focus on his visit to Canada was apologizing to indigenous peoples.
The Pope was most engaged when interacting with locals, particularly survivors of abuse in Catholic schools.
However, there were times when his fatigue became more evident during the more formal moments of travel, such as political meetings.
Speaking to journalists on his return journey, he was encouraged by criticizing the so-called “traditionalists” within the Catholic Church – who, by the way, would be most celebrating the change of the pope.
“A Church that does not evolve is a Church that goes backwards,” said Francis. “Many people consider themselves traditionalists, but no, they’re just going backwards. It’s a sin.”
“Tradition is the living faith in the dead, but your attitude is the dead faith of the living. It’s important to understand the role of a tradition – a musician said that tradition is a guarantee of the future, it’s not a museum piece.”
Additional reporting by Sara Monetta
This text was originally published at https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/internacional-62361447.
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source: Noticias
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