Pope Francis added fuel to rumors about the future of his pontificate by announcing he would visit the central Italian city of L'Aquila in August for a feast initiated by Pope Celestine V, one of the few pontiffs who resigned before Pope Benedict XVI stepped down in 2013, the AP website reports today (June 5. 2022).
Italian and Catholic media have been rife with unsourced speculation that the 85-year-old Francis might be planning to follow in Benedict's footsteps, given his increased mobility problems that have forced him to use a wheelchair for the last month.
These rumors gained steam last week when Francis announced a consistory to create 21 new cardinals scheduled for Aug 27. Sixteen of these cardinals are under age 80 and eligible to vote in a conclave to elect Francis' successor.
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