"I'm still alive..." As he walks with a cane into the living room of the modest Santa Maria residence where he has lived since his election in 2013, Pope Francis responds with humor to concerns about his health. In a rare interview with Reuters news agency, he talked about his knee problems and denied claims that he has cancer, joking that the doctors had not told him anything about it.
"They didn't tell me anything. They didn't tell me. They explained everything to me well, but no, I don't have cancer. It's a yard rumor. The spirit of the court is still here in the Vatican...if you think about it, the Vatican is the last European court of an absolute monarchy."
The Pope also laughed off rumors that he planned to resign in the near future, saying that such a thought had never crossed his mind. And yet he did not rule out the possibility that something like this would happen one day if his health condition prevented him from working.
Rumors have circulated in the media that planned meetings of world cardinals to discuss a new Vatican constitution, a ceremony to introduce new cardinals and a visit to the Italian city of Aquila where Pope Celestine V resigned in 1294 , may precede Francis' announcement to renounce the Papacy.
"Not at the moment. Really. It never occurred to me. But the time will come when I see that I can't do it anymore. The example of Pope Francis was something good for the Church. He told the Popes to stop in time. He is wonderful."
In the 90-minute interview, the head of the Holy See said he respected the US Supreme Court decision that stripped women of their right to abortion, but said he did not have enough information to speak from a legal point of view.
He reiterated his stance against this procedure, comparing it to "hiring a hitman."
The Pope also spoke about the war in Ukraine, saying he hoped to visit Kiev and Moscow soon. So far no Pope has visited the Russian capital.