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The head of the Catholic Church also denied rumors that a cancer was diagnosed during an operation to remove part of his colon in July 2021. Pope Francis denied rumors about the possibility of resigning from office due to health problems and said he could soon visit Ukraine and Russia, in an interview released Monday.
“It never crossed my mind. Not at the moment, not at the moment. Really!” the pontiff said of the resignation during an interview with the Reuters news agency on Saturday at his Vatican residence.
Read also: Pope Francis criticizes Russian “cruelty” in Ukraine
In recent weeks, severe pain in his right knee has forced the pope to postpone a trip to the African continent, scheduled for early July, which has increased speculation about a possible resignation, as his predecessor Benedict XVI did in 2013, citing a lack of strength to perform the function.
