Pope Francis acknowledged Saturday that he can no longer travel like he used to because of his strained knee ligaments, saying his weeklong Canadian pilgrimage was "a bit of a test" that showed he needs to slow down and one day possibly retire.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Speaking to reporters while traveling home from northern Nunavut, the 85-year-old Francis stressed that he hadn't thought about resigning but said "the door is open" and there was nothing wrong with a pope stepping down.
"It's not strange. It's not a catastrophe. You can change the pope," he said while sitting in an airplane wheelchair during a 45-minute news conference.
Francis said that while he hadn't considered resigning until now, he realizes he has to at least slow down.
"I think at my age and with these limitations, I have to save (my energy) to be able to serve the church, or on the contrary, think about the possibility of stepping aside," he said.
