The main Catholic pontiff, Pope Francis has on Saturday, hinted on stepping down from his position after carrying out a series of political travels all week.
Pope Francis had also reiterated that he needed to slow down because he could no longer withstand the hectic schedule of international travels.
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He disclosed this to journalists after a six-day Canada trip. Pope Francis, who is suffering from knee pain, said he is considering stepping down due to his health issues.
“I don’t think I can go at the same pace as I used to travel.
“I think that at my age and with this knee limitation, I have to save myself a little bit to be able to serve the Church. Or, alternatively, to think about the possibility of stepping aside,” he said.
In another report, Pope Francis has detailed his plans to journey down to Quebec City on Wednesday, where he will be issuing out an address to the political leaders of Canada after he had dedicated the first part of his journey to apologising for the abuse of Indigenous children at Catholic-run schools in the Country.
After two days in the western province of Alberta, during which he begged for forgiveness from the First Nations, Metis and Inuit people of Canada for abuse which had been suffered over the span of a century, the 85-year-old pontiff will fly to Quebec City from Edmonton on Wednesday morning.
He will go first to the Citadel of Quebec, where he will meet with Mary Simon, the first Indigenous person to become Canada’s governor general, and then with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and then he will then deliver a speech to officials, Indigenous representatives and the diplomatic corps.
Francis has been welcomed in Canada and his apology for the Church’s role in the residential school system has been hailed as historic, though many Indigenous people who have spoken to AFP have warned there is more work to do.
