Just hours after undergoing a surprise hernia operation in June, Pope Francis faced an immediate concern: Would the 86-year-old pontiff be cleared to travel to Portugal in August for World Youth Day? Despite serious health setbacks over the last year, Pope Francis intends to press ahead with his agenda, demonstrating his commitment to the event. However, similar to his two most recent predecessors, he will also have to confront the reality that World Youth Days test the limits of aging popes.
In 2002, Pope John Paul II, frail and suffering from Parkinson's disease, surprised everyone when he walked down the steps of the plane himself upon arriving at Toronto's Pearson airport for World Youth Day. Many had speculated whether the 82-year-old pope would even be able to make the trip. Despite his age and physical challenges, the chants of "JPII, we love you" from the young people present managed to reinvigorate him and add to the fervor of the World Youth Day celebrations.
Both Pope John Paul II and his successor, Pope Benedict XVI, faced similar challenges during their World Youth Day appearances. Pope Benedict, at the age of 81, rested for four days on Strawberry Island before officially arriving in Australia for Sydney's World Youth Day in 2008. Despite their advanced ages and physical limitations, both popes used these events not only to energize a new generation of Catholics but also to rejuvenate themselves.
In 2002, Pope John Paul II, who was struggling with speech at that point in his papacy, managed to deliver his speeches himself, defying initial plans to have an aide deliver them on his behalf. Likewise, in Madrid's 2011 World Youth Day, the then-84-year-old Pope Benedict refused to leave the stage even when a thunderstorm knocked out the electricity and temporarily halted the event. Such moments showcased the indomitable spirit of these aging pontiffs.
However, World Youth Day also played a role in Pope Benedict's decision to resign the papacy. He knew that he was physically unable to continue traveling, and he wanted a new pope in place in time for the 2013 World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro.
Now, at 86, Pope Francis will be the oldest pope ever to preside over a World Youth Day celebration. Despite recent surgery and struggles with mobility, he has a jam-packed schedule for Lisbon, including a total of 11 speeches over five days and a visit to the country's popular Marian shrine of Fátima. Francis has repeatedly stated that leaving the Vatican gives him life, and he has no intention of stopping his travels, with plans to visit Mongolia and Marseilles, France, later in the year.
Nonetheless, since returning to the Vatican following his surgery, Pope Francis has shown signs of urgency. He appointed his longtime theological adviser, Archbishop VÃctor Manuel Fernández, as the new head of the Vatican's doctrinal office, reinforcing his curial reforms with an emphasis on pastoral theology. Additionally, he announced that he would create 21 new cardinals in September, further solidifying his influence on the College of Cardinals. All of this will occur on the eve of the closely watched October Synod of Bishops, another defining moment for his pontificate.
As Pope Francis feeds off the energy of young people during the World Youth Day celebrations in Lisbon, it's not difficult to imagine that he may also be contemplating his future. The charismatic pope undoubtedly enjoys these encounters, but he may wonder whether he will be present at the next World Youth Day and what more he wants accomplish before then.
