"Changing the pope is not a disaster, it is not a taboo," the head of the church told reporters.
Pope Francis has said that the time may soon come when he will have to consider his resignation - and that he would resign if he felt that his health prevented him from serving as he should.
The 85-year-old Pope emphasized that he intends to continue his duties for the time being and that God will guide him when to retire, if he resigns at all, reports the BBC.
"It's not a disaster to change the pope, it's not a taboo," he told reporters from a wheelchair on a plane from the Canadian Arctic to Rome.
The door is open - this is a normal possibility. But to this day I have not knocked on this door. I didn't feel the need to think about this possibility.
That doesn't mean I can't start thinking about it in two days," the Pope said about the possibility of retiring.
In recent months, Pope Francis has been dealing with ongoing knee problems that have affected his mobility. He spent most of his visit to Canada in a wheelchair.
He admitted that there is a big problem with his health. He previously rejected speculations about a more serious, life-threatening illness.
"This trip was intense. I don't think that at my age and with the limitations of my knees I can continue to travel at the same pace as before.
Either I have to save a little of my strength so that I can continue to serve the church, or I have to consider the possibility of resigning, Pope Francis said.
Source: mandiner.hu
Featured image: ALBERTO PIZZOLI / AFP
