The same vitality or a physical deterioration?

Although over the days the worst omens have been cast and his recovery seems well under way questions grow as to whether Pope Francis will retain the same vitality to continue to face his pontificate or whether he will experience some physical deterioration which will force him to reduce the intensity of his activities.

If in itself leading a herd of 1,300 million souls is not easy and requires a lot of effort, Francis’s situation is even more demanding, facing a very preserved arear, although in the minority, but which resists its progressive profile, mainly led by part of the clergy of the United States.

It is not easy on the left either. A section of the powerful German Church pushes for optional celibacy and even the female priesthood with an open synod underway, while many of its priests bless homosexual unions against the Vatican’s indications, which he reiterated a few weeks ago.

In addition, Francisco performs a deep reform of the Vatican’s finances -the axis of periodic scandals- to bring them greater transparency and prevent the Holy See from being considered a tax haven, which affects powerful interests, deeply rooted in certain circles of the Vatican.

In his eight years of pontificate Francis had to solve legacy economic scandals and new ones like the one involving once-powerful Vatican number three Cardinal Angelo Becciu, whose impending embezzlement trial promises to stir up dust.

The wave of sexual abuse cases Committed by members of the clergy – the scandal that has damaged the Church the most in the past decade – was another front that Francis has faced decisively and although cases have fallen vertically over the past two decades , this is far from being a problem that has been overcome.

What is coming

The trauma the Church faces due to sex crimes was reflected in the surprise resignation, in May, of Cardinal Reinhard Marx, an important and respected figure in Germany, who – although he was not involved in any case. abuse or concealment he felt he had to make a gesture.

This is because for Marx the number of cases and the absence of a convincing response from the Church – or the occultation – institutionally oblige to assume the debacle. Moreover, it implies that does not see a process of cultural change deep into all the clergy to face the scourge.

Francois, however, did not accept the resignation And although he told him that he appreciated the gesture and agreed with all his considerations about the seriousness of the ecclesiastical crisis due to sexual abuse, he made a comparison with Peter who told Jesus that he was not worthy to follow him and he accepted it anyway.

We will have to see how much he will ask Francisco – 84 years old – his complete recovery given the extraction of part of the colon and the operation could not be laparoscopic due to scars from an operation 40 years ago due to gangrene gall bladder.

It is true that the information about his health was brief, a style that the Pope himself – affected by the low profile of his life – would have recommended so that he did not become “a media circus”. In all cases, it was recorded that the examinations gave who does not have Colon Cancer.

One way to know the pace of his healing and his level of vitality will be to closely follow his activity – and his decisions – bearing in mind that July is the month of recess in the Vatican. in August, papal activity is still very weak.

In mid-September there will be a good indicator: must travel to Slovakia and Hungary. The first question is whether this will actually be okay. Papal journeys are grueling, and Jorge Bergoglio admits they tire him more and more.

Francis said that if he felt very weak he would have no problem giving up the papacy. But it is clear that as long as I have enough strength will go ahead with everything that has been proposed.

PB