Pope Francis In Wheelchair, Vatican Official: He Accepts His Limitations, But Won't Stop Them

Pope Francis. (Wikimedia Commons/Benhur Arcayan)

JAKARTA - Pope Francis is "not going to quit", despite recent health problems that forced him to use a wheelchair, a cardinal said on Tuesday.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, an Irish-American Vatican official, made the comments while delivering the Pope's message for the Roman Catholic Church's World Grandfather and Elderly Day, which is celebrated this year on June 24.

Pope Francis designated the day for 2021, to pay attention to the needs of the elderly and to underline their potential as active members of society which should not be neglected.

"He accepts his current limitations with passion and a big heart. I think he is an example to all of us. We must not hide the fact that as we age, our ability to play an active role diminishes as we age in the life of today's world," Farrell said. , reported Reuters May 10.

"But he's also shown us that, with the limitations he has physically and at his age, he's not going to stop."

It is known that Pope, 85, has been suffering from pain in his right knee in addition to a long-standing case of sciatica, which also causes pain in the leg.

Last Thursday, he used a wheelchair in public for the first time and has used it during both private and public hearings.

Cardinal Farrell continued, the Pope is a great example for the elderly, as he has decided to do his job to the best of his ability despite "the limitations of being in a wheelchair today because of his knee".

In his message, the Pope said parents are not understood and too often the younger generation wants to make them invisible.

"Many people are afraid of old age. They perceive it as a kind of disease to which any contact should be avoided," the pope said, calling the attitude the result of a culture of 'throw away'.

To note, the pope's health condition has forced the postponement of a trip to Lebanon next month, but he will still make two trips in July, one to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the other to Canada.