Pope Francis: ‘When you are old, you are no longer in control of your body’

Pope Francis said on Wednesday that the elderly must accept their physical limitations, noting that he now has to walk with a cane.

In his general audience address on June 15, the pope said that old age is invariably marked by fragility.

“When you are old, you are no longer in control of your body. One has to learn to choose what to do and what not to do,” he said.

“The vigor of the body fails and abandons us, even though our heart does not stop yearning. One must then learn to purify desire: be patient, choose what to ask of the body and of life.”

He added: “When we are old, we cannot do the same things we did when we were young: the body has another pace, and we must listen to the body and accept its limits. We all have them. I too have to use a walking stick now.”

Pilgrims responded with applause to his reference to his recent health struggles.

The 85-year-old pope has walked short distances at recent general audiences with the help of a cane. Due to ongoing knee pain, he has appeared in a wheelchair at other public events since May 5.

The pope’s live-streamed catechesis was the 14th in a cycle on old age that he began in February. He entered St. Peter’s Square in a jeep, stopping to invite children in white hats to join him for part of his journey among the pilgrims.

The vehicle drove up to a raised platform in front of St. Peter’s Basilica, where the pope was helped to walk up to the white chair where he gave his address.

Pope Francis’ catechesis focused on Jesus’ healing of Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, as described in Mark 1:29-31.

He noted that the Gospel writer did not say if she was suffering from a mild ailment or something more serious, observing that “in old age, even a simple fever can be dangerous.”

The pope underlined the significance of Jesus’ decision to visit the sick woman with his disciples rather than alone.