Although the pope is still forging ahead with an ambitious itinerary, it is undoubtedly the final stage of his pontificate
Pope Francis has not slackened his pace despite recently being forced to use a wheelchair because of a problem with one of his knees.
The 85-year-old pope may be overweight and less mobile than when he was elected bishop of Rome in March 2013, but his mind appears to be nimble as ever. Nonetheless, age and physical disabilities are beginning to take their toll.
At the end of October, he will surpass Benedict XVI as the oldest pope in office since 1903 when Leo XIII died nearly five months beyond the age of 93.
No matter how long Francis' pontificate stretches on, there is no denying that it is in its final stage. And that means people are beginning to talk about likely candidates to succeed the first Jesuit and New World pope in the Catholic Church's history.
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