What does Pope Francis say about his health in his new autobiography?

In his new autobiography published today (January 14), Pope Francis (88 years old) said he still feels healthy and has no plans to resign.

Pope Francis at an event in the Paul VI Hall of the Vatican on January 11.

"I am well," Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church said in his autobiography, Hope, published in more than 100 countries on January 14. "Simply put, the fact is that I am old," he said.

The Pope now regularly uses a wheelchair to get around because of back and knee pain, according to AFP. But according to him, "the church is guided by the head and the heart, not the feet."

Since taking over the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church in 2013, the Argentine pontiff has had a busy schedule. Lately, in the past two years in particular, he has been plagued by colds and other health problems.

The Pope also underwent two surgeries, first in 2021 to remove part of his colon, and then in 2023 to treat an abdominal hernia.

"Every time a pope falls ill, the winds of the conclave pick up," the pope said in his autobiography. The conclave is a closed-door meeting to elect a new pope.

"In fact, even during the days of surgery, I never thought of resigning," the Holy Father affirmed.

Hope is the pope's second book in two years, following a memoir published in March 2024.

Mondadori, the publisher, revealed that the Pope had originally planned to publish Hope only after his death. However, the Holy Father later decided to publish it during the Holy Year of 2025, which takes place every 25 years. Coincidentally, the main theme of the Holy Year is also Hope .

Throughout the 303 pages of the book, he recalls his time growing up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, his time as a bishop in that country, and some of the decisions he made as leader of the universal church.

For example, Pope Francis strongly defended his decision in 2024 to allow priests to bless same-sex unions.

“Homosexuality is not a crime, it is a human reality,” he said.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/giao-hoang-francis-noi-gi-ve-suc-khoe-cua-minh-trong-tu-truyen-moi-185250114151638386.htm