The death of Benedict XVI has once again focused attention on the health of Francis, himself 86 and considerably slowed. Francis now often uses a wheelchair. He’s heavier and breathes more heavily.
Francis has made aging, and concern about the abandonment of the aged, a hallmark of his late papacy, using his own deteriorating body, as John Paul II did, as a testament to the suffering of an increasing population of older people.
Francis, who had part of a lung removed when he was 21, underwent surgery in the summer of 2021 to remove part of his colon, which kept him hospitalized for 10 days. He suffers from sciatica, a chronic nerve condition that causes, back, hip and leg pain, giving him a limp. Francis has called it his “troublesome guest.”
[It’s a fair question, although still likely improbable. Francis just launched a major reform of the Curia, which will take several years to put in place. Even with his infirmities, Francis seems to thrive in the role. He never would have done it while Benedict was still alive, though; a three-pope Church would have been a real nightmare, especially with the extroverted Francis being one of them. See my earlier post on how a papal retirement will likely be handled in the future. — Ed]
Join the conversation as a VIP Member