Pope Francis Issues Rare Health Update

Pope Francis has said he has no intention of resigning as the head of the Catholic church as he feels his health is currently good enough to carry on, excerpts from a new autobiography reveal.

The Pope, 87, wrote that he believed the job was "ad vitam [for life] and therefore I don't see any conditions for renunciation," according to sections published by Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera on Thursday.

However, the Pope said that he had already signed a letter of resignation in the case "a serious physical impediment occurred."

"This is a distant hypothesis, because I don't have reasons serious enough to make me think about giving up," he added.

The publication comes after a recent public appearance, in which he suffered issues with speaking and mobility, raised fears about his health.

The week prior, an aide had to read a speech on his behalf as the Pope had bronchitis, while on February 24 the Vatican said he had been suffering from a mild flu that had later seen him taken to hospital for tests.

Pope Francis has previously dismissed rumors concerning his resignation after stepping back from a trip while recovering from another physical ailment.

"Over the years, some may have hoped that sooner or later, perhaps after hospitalization, I would make such an announcement, but there is no such risk: thanks to the Lord, I enjoy good health and, God willing, there are many projects still to be realized," the excerpt read.

Pope Francis has faced several controversies during his 11-year tenure, which have sparked public dissent towards his leadership. The pontiff has suggested that even atheists could go to heaven and that he did not judge homosexuals, as well as taking a softer stance on abortions and remarriage.

The publication of a document in December by a Vatican bishop, with the Pope's approval, mooting the "possibility of blessing couples in irregular situations and same-sex couples" without changing the church's stance on homosexuality, has sparked growing calls among the clergy to oppose the move.

In February, Pope Francis accused the naysayers of "hypocrisy," arguing that they were willing to let him bless someone who exploits people, despite it also being considered a sin.

The sovereign of the Vatican City addressed these issues in another excerpt, in which he reportedly said that if he had taken issue with all of the complaints, he would be seeing a psychologist.

However, he added that in the 2013 conclave that elected him "there was a great desire to change things, to abandon certain attitudes that unfortunately still struggle to disappear today. There are always those who try to slow down the reform."

Pope Francis's predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, at 85 became the first to resign in nearly 600 years, citing his old age and the demands of the job. He went on to live until 2022, and was known as Pope Emeritus.

In the excerpt, Pope Francis—who also holds the title of Bishop of Rome—said in the eventuality he did resign due to poor health, he would not call himself Pope Emeritus but Bishop Emeritus of Rome, and would move to Santa Maria Maggiore, the largest Catholic church in Rome, "to return to being a confessor and bringing communion to the sick."

Update 3/14/24, 7:00 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include further information throughout.