Pope Francis says he has no intention of quitting the papacy — a possibility opened up by his predecessor Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI.

The pope, responding to a question from a young person at a Vatican event, said Sunday, “I never thought of quitting being pope, or of leaving because of the many responsibilities.”

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The pope previously said he envisioned a short papacy before going on “to the Father’s house,” but he has never specifically ruled out following in Benedict’s footsteps.


Benedict retired in 2013, the first pope to step down in 600 years.

The pope spoke at a Vatican gathering for Scholas Occurrentes, the global educational initiative that he launched. George Clooney, accompanied by wife Amal, and Richard Gere were honored for their contributions.

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