Pope Francis also dismissed rumors that an operation a year ago, in which part of his colon was removed, was due to cancer.
“It (the surgery) was a great success,” he said, adding with a laugh that “they didn’t tell me anything” about the alleged cancer, which he dismissed as “court gossip.”
Travel plans to Ukraine
During the interview, Francis said he would like to go to Moscow and Kyiv to “try to help in some way” for peace. “And now it’s possible, after I come back from Canada, it’s possible that I can go to Ukraine,” he said.
“The first thing is to go to Russia to try to help in some way, but I would like to go to both capitals.”
Pope Francis has been accused of not going far enough in his criticism of Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, despite condemning the war in Ukraine. Last Thursday, he indirectly accused Moscow of waging a “cruel and senseless war of aggression”.
In response to his comments, a Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday: “It is time to deepen ties with those who sincerely desire it. We renew the invitation to Pope Francis to visit our country and call on you to continue to pray for the Ukrainian people. “
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