Pope Francis. Photo: ReutersPope Francis. Photo: Reuters

The Pope has hinted that he may not be the head of the global Catholic Church for much longer, claiming he may die or retire within “two or three years”.

While on a flight back to the Vatican from a five-day visit to South Korea, a reporter asked 77-year-old about his global popularity.

“I see it as the generosity of the people of God,” he said. “I try to think of my sins, my mistakes, not to become proud. Because I know it will last only a short time. Two or three years and then I’ll be off to the Father’s house.”

Admitting he has “some nerve problems”, Francis implied he may follow his predecessor in resigning due to ill health: “Benedict XVI opened a door... at a certain age we are no longer capable of governing well because our bodies get tired.”

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.