Pope Francis

The 85-year-old pontiff postponed a July trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan last week after he was forced to use a wheelchair due to ...

Pope Francis (pictured yesterday) has fuelled speculation that he could resign after postponing a trip to Africa and announcing an unusual meeting of cardinals A trip to Canada at the end of July is still on the pontiff's schedule, and the pope continues to receive injections in his knee and physical therapy, according to the Vatican. Pope Francis has fuelled speculation that he could resign after postponing a trip to Africa and announcing an unusual meeting of cardinals. On August 28, Francis will then pay a visit to L'Aquila and the tomb of Celestine V - the first pope to have resigned from the papacy, in the 13th century. In 2014, a year after being elected to replace Benedict, Francis himself told reporters that were his health to impede his functions as pope, he would consider stepping down too. Speculation mounts that the Pope is about to RESIGN as Francis postpones Africa trip and announces unusual meeting of cardinals

The world's attention is descending on Vatican City as rumors swirl Pope Francis is readying to resign.

Why was he doing that? What was he doing there? Resignation rumors are gaining traction in the wake of a series of unusual activities by the 85-year-old leader of the Catholic Church, according to a report.

Pope Francis may be hanging it up soon -- stepping down as the leader of the Catholic Church -- at least that's the buzz in and around the Vatican.

He's been confined to a wheelchair recently ... the result of debilitating knee pain. What's fueling the resignation rumors is a meeting of cardinals that the Pope just scheduled ... it's highly unusual. Pope Francis assumed his role back in 2013 and has instituted a series of reforms, which include a new constitution. Pope Francis Vatican Buzz Resignation May be Looming Pope Francis may be hanging it up soon -- stepping down as the leader of the Catholic Church -- at least that's the buzz in and around the Vatican. Pope Francis Fuels Rumors Resignation May Be Looming

The world went nearly 600 years without a pope resigning before a frail Benedict XVI stepped down in 2013. The Vatican rumor mill is now working overtime on ...

“The pope may well abdicate if his health situation indicates to him that that is necessary for the good of the church. In 2009, now-retired Benedict made a pilgrimage to Celestine’s tomb and placed his pallium stole, which denotes papal authority, on the tomb. “And all you have to do is plug in the names and what the particular ailment is, that the pope has. The Agence France-Presse news agency reported Sunday that there were elevated rumors of a potential resignation, even as the story quoted experts warning against such a move as being imminent. The renewed speculation over the pope’s health and his immediate future — which official sources have yet to confirm or deny — is not without some basis. American journalist Megyn Kelly has added another log to the fire. The move, coupled with Francis’ recent use of a wheelchair when attending public events, fueled speculation about his health. The Argentine-born pontiff has been forced to cancel long-planned trips and some say his agenda for the coming years offers signs he is contemplating following Benedict’s example. Observers said it was unusually short notice for such a cancellation. “This is a story that’s going to run in every papacy for the rest of the century,” Father Reese said. The world went nearly 600 years without a pope resigning before a frail Benedict XVI stepped down in 2013. He said Benedict’s resignation also opened the door for continued coverage.

Celestine, having abdicated after only four months in office, is sort of the patron saint of papal retirement planning. Benedict's visit to L'Aquila in 2009 was ...

In Christianity, the means of change is not the triumph of ideology or the spread of dogma; it is to be close to people with the closeness Jesus had. And it would be hard to imagine Francis contributing to the confusion of authority inherent in the existence of three popes, each tempted to pontificate. First, Pope Francis is pushing for greater liturgical uniformity within the boundaries of the Second Vatican Council. His conservative predecessor made it easy for traditionalist Catholics to use the earlier, Latin liturgy. Francis recently announced the creation of 16 new voting-age cardinals. It has come to symbolize a parallel form of Catholicism that rejects the modernizing reforms of Vatican II (including the vernacular mass). “When you are old, you are no longer in control of your body,” Francis said during a general audience this month.

The Swiss Guards are a-tittering: Pope Francis, the Pope, might be packing up his two possessions into a burlap bag and moving to the retirement home for ...

Pope F, 85, has been looking noticeably frail as of late and had to cancel his big day out to Africa because of “knee problems.” He has a walking stick, but it’s not as nice as the Queen’s. Cancel culturista Megyn Kelly is live at the Vatican with updates. The Swiss Guards are a-tittering: Pope Francis, the Pope, might be packing up his two possessions into a burlap bag and moving to the retirement home for infirm popes with Benedict and his “secretary” Georg.

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis has fuelled the rumour mill with a postponed Africa trip and the curious timing of an upcoming meeting of cardinals - but experts ...

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Following the conclave, Francis has scheduled an unusual meeting of the world's cardinals – a group that usually only gathers when it is time to elect a new ...

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger – a well-known Vatican representative who was Dean of the College of Cardinals and officiated the meetings – was elected after four ballots. For Francis, whose time as pope has been marked by an emphasis on pastoral ministry over bureaucracy, this could be an attempt to build relationships between the large group so that, when it comes time to elect a new pope, those cardinals without a high profile are considered. Since becoming pope in 2013, Francis has named 83 new cardinals, some of whom are from countries that ordinarily have not been represented in the College of Cardinals. Consequently, many do not know each other. The official reason for the meeting is to review the pope’s recent reform of the Vatican’s central bureaucracy. August is usually a slow summer vacation month for the Vatican. This year, though, the Pope has called a “consistory” (an assembly or council) to name 21 new cardinals on the unusual date of the 27th. Following the conclave, Francis has scheduled an unusual meeting of the world’s cardinals – a group that usually only gathers when it is time to elect a new pontiff.

Bookmakers see Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle from the Philippines and Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson as the front-runners to lead the Catholic Church should ...

Francis later made Tagle a cardinal-bishop. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle from the Philippines has been given 5/1 odds of being elected the next pope by British bookmakers OLBG. Also highly favored to replace Francis is Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson, who has been given odds of 6/1. And while Catholic hierarchy has been dominated by Europeans for most of the church's history, bookmakers have tipped cardinals from Africa and Asia as favorites to be elected the next pope.

In a message read at the First Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, Pope Francis renews his call for an end ...

Pope Francis concludes his message by noting that disarmament treaties, including the TPNW, “are more than just legal obligations. The Treaty, which aims at achieving and maintaining a nuclear-weapons-free world, went into effect in January 2021. The “courageous vision” of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons “appears ever more timely,” Pope Francis says in a Message for the First Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

Is Pope Francis planning on retiring? It's a question on many people's minds as health issues force him to cancel trips and events.