[Alex Murphy]

He’s old. He’s very old at this point. The Church is very large and facing very great problems with Islam in the ME and elsewhere along with fights in the secular realm. I think he realized the demands of the Easter Vigil were beyond his strength at this point.

IMO the next few years will be telling, i.e. will his health rapidly decline (retired due to medical condition), or will his health hold out (retired due to Vatican politics)?

[OpusatFR]

One of my friends thinks he is close to death. I wonder if he has a condition that would rob him of his massive intellect rendering the church, had he remained Pontiff, effectively without a leader?