Pope Francis II said he would not rule out resigning as head of the Catholic Church.
And the 85-year-old pope told reporters, as he was returning to Rome on Friday evening from a visit to Canada.
The Pope, who holds Argentine citizenship, added that he "is not thinking of resigning now, but this does not mean that he cannot begin to do so the day after tomorrow."
The Pope also spoke about his health, saying that "in the past six days, he could barely take a few steps and was in a wheelchair most of the time. The Pope suffers from a knee injury."
"I don't think I can go on with the same rhythm of travel as before," he added.