Regardless of whether Francis dies in office or emeritus, he intends staying in Rome and wants to be buried there. He does not want to be buried in Buenos Aires, where he spent most of his life.

"I will not go back to Argentina," Francis says.

The book's author medical doctor Nelson Castro examines the health of recent popes from Leo XIII to Francis. It was published in Buenos Aires on Monday.

The book examines in depth John Paul II's long illness, John Paul I's sudden death, the problems Paul VI had with a prostate operation, John XXIII's agonising death, Pius XII's health problems, the false news of the death of Benedict XV, the legend of Pius XI's poisoning, the pain of war that drove Pius X to his death and Leo XIII's longevity.

It also discusses Francis's health - its ups and downs and his views on his eventual death.

Asked if he feared death, Francis responded, "Absolutely not."

An excerpt from Castro's interview with Francis was published on Saturday in the Argentine daily newspaper La Nacion.

In this, one of the subjects Francis speaks about is the surgical removal of cysts from the top lobe of his right lung in October 1957 when he was 21.

He says he made "a complete recovery" from that operation, "and never felt any limitation since then".

The book also makes it clear that despite persistent rumours, the Pope has both lungs. He had not had one removed, as many have reported.

Francis also makes it clear he has "never" undergone psychoanalysis as some have reported.

He did, however, visit "a great woman psychologist," once a week for six months, he says.

Francis says these visits were made during the period when he was taking great risks in assisting people to escape during Argentina's military dictatorship. The psychologist helped him deal with the tensions and fears he experienced at that time, he added.

Francis told Castro he sometimes suffers from "neurotic anxiety," but he has largely learned to overcome it by listening to Bach or sipping "mate," a popular Argentinean herbal drink.

In the full interview for the book, Francis speaks of his various medical ailments, but concludes he is well cared for and is in good health for a person of his age.

Castro says it was Francis himself who suggested in 2017, when he visited him in the Vatican, that he should write a book on the health of the popes.

At that time, Francis promised to give him an interview on his own health for the book, which has been published under the title "The Health of the Popes: Medicine, plots and faith, from Leo XIII to Francis".

Source

• America Magazine
• Image: Catholic News Agency

"The Pope is one, it is Francis," Benedict said in an interview with an Italian magazine last week.

"The unity of the Church has always been in danger, for centuries," he continued.

"It has been for all its history. Wars, internal conflicts, centrifugal forces, threats of schisms.

"In the end the awareness that the Church is and must remain united has always prevailed. Its unity has always been stronger than internal struggles and wars."

Italian journalist Massimo Franco says when the history of what the Pope Emeritus has been doing during what he (Franco) describes as "these secret years" is written:

"... it will not be possible to disregard the highly reserved cardinals and bishops who have come to his door looking for reassurances, and expressing their criticisms and their perplexity towards the current pontificate."

Franco suggests Benedict has answered these clergy by emphasising the importance of Church unity, noting "Benedict's obsession with the unity of the Church … is more acute than ever."

Since retiring from the pontificate, Benedict (92) has led a life of prayer, occasionally consulting with and meeting with his successor, Pope Francis.

Last Saturday marked the 68th anniversary of Benedict's ordination to the priesthood.

He plans to spend the summer peacefully with the usual visit of his brother Georg and few private meetings with guests for breakfast or lunch, according to ACI Stampa newspaper.

Source

• Catholic News Agency
• Eurasia Review
• Image: France24

Schüller is the head of the Canon Law department at Germany's Münster University.

He is one of several German theologians who have called on the Vatican to establish clear canonical regulations for future popes who resign their office.

"There must only be one pope in the Roman Catholic Church and it is, therefore, most confusing that when Benedict XVI resigned, the new expression ‘Pope-emeritus' was coined as it merely leads to confusion," Schüller says. Read more