The difference between 70 and 80 medically speaking is a lot greater than the difference between 60 and 70. He'll have the best of medical care, of course, but the sheer endurance required of a Pope these days is going to take its toll unless he becomes a recluse like many of the Popes from previous centuries who rarely left the Vatican, never mind travelled the world.
Updated already, Francis I is listed as the ninth oldest pope at election since 1295. None of his cohort in that list lasted more than 9 years and I don't think any of them were missing a lung to start with.
I was recently (but well before the abdication announcement) reading about the (first) papal election of 1503: "Since neither could win ... all powers looked for a compromise candidate, someone old and sick and inert, likely to do little and die soon, and all hoped they could regroup and gain a majority by the time of the next election."
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
no subject
Ain't Wikipedia wonderful?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ages_of_popes
Updated already, Francis I is listed as the ninth oldest pope at election since 1295. None of his cohort in that list lasted more than 9 years and I don't think any of them were missing a lung to start with.
no subject