Pope Francis has said he intends to cut back on his travels, including overseas visits, due to health concerns, but he still plans to visit Kyiv.
He told reporters about this during a flight from Canada after a week-long visit to this country, Ukrinform reports with reference to Vatican News.
“I already said that I want to go to Ukraine. We’ll see what I find when I get home. At present, I would also like to go to Kazakhstan, this is a simple trip, without excessive movement, because we are talking about a congress of religions. For now, this remains in the plans,” the pontiff said, answering a question about how the state of health could affect his travels.
The Pope expressed doubt that he would be able to maintain the same pace of travel. “I think at my age and with these limitations, I have to feel a little sorry for myself in order to serve the Church,” he said.
At the same time, according to Francis, he does not rule out the possibility of stepping aside: “There is no problem in replacing the Pope.” However, he believes that these efforts should be somewhat limited.
“I will try to continue to travel, to be close to people, because I believe that closeness is a way of service,” he stressed.
As reported, Pope Francis, in an interview with Reuters, expressed the hope that after his visit to Canada, he could visit Moscow and Kyiv.
The Foreign Ministry updated the invitation to the pontiff and stated that this visit will strengthen the role of the Pope in restoring peace on Ukrainian soil.
Photo: Vatican News
