He also called off trips to a shrine in February and a seminary in May.

‘Those were very demanding days. And now I have to be a bit more sensible,’ he said, adding that he had been sleeping more over the past two months.

The Pope has kept up a whirlwind of activity since his election in March 2013. However he has some underlying health problems, including sciatica. He also had part of a lung removed in his youth.

Some observers claim the pontiff has gained weight and is having difficulty breathing, which could be signs of a heart condition.

He also received the sad news that three members of his family had died in a car crash in Argentina.

His two young great-nephews, aged two and eight months, and their 39-year-old mother Valeria Carmona, were killed in a road accident on Monday.

Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said the Pope’s nephew Emanuel Bergoglio, who was driving, was in a serious condition.

He added: ‘The Pope was informed about the tragic accident. He is deeply pained.’

The family’s car reportedly collided with a lorry in the Cordoba region, north-east of Buenos Aires.

据英国《每日邮报》报道，罗马教皇弗朗西斯一世称自己在世时间最多再活两到三年，考虑退休。

弗朗西斯一世在从韩国起飞的返程飞机上告诉记者，他认为自己时日不多，要完成罗马天主教会改革的时间很有限。

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