The new concern about the health of the sovereign pontiff did not last long. After spending about forty minutes at the Gemelli Polyclinic for clinical tests, Francis moved to the Saint Martha residence, where he lives in the Vatican. The 86-year-old Argentine pope arrived at 10:40 a.m. at this establishment, in which he had already been admitted two months ago for a respiratory infection, according to the Ansa and AGI agencies.
As for his knee pain, which requires him to move around in a wheelchair or using a cane, he said he felt “much better”. “Some days are more painful than others, like today, but that’s part of recovery,” he said.
The pope, whose health appears increasingly fragile, had also canceled his appointments on May 26 due to a feverish state, which did not, however, require hospitalization. He resumed his activities the next day.
The health of Jorge Bergoglio, elected in 2013, regularly fuels speculation on the possibility of a renunciation of his office and on his succession. He has repeatedly said he would consider resigning, like his predecessor Benedict XVI, who died in December, if his health were to fail, but he recently claimed that was not on the cards.
Despite these developments, Francis continues to travel: the Vatican published on Tuesday the program of his visit to Portugal from August 2 to 6, on the occasion of World Youth Days (WYD), which will see the sovereign pontiff visit Lisbon and at the Marian Shrine of Fatima. The pope is also due to visit Mongolia in early September, as well as Marseille on September 23.
