The latest announcement from Pope Francis is fueling rumors that the pontiff might choose to step down.
Rumors have been swirling since Francis said he would be visiting the Italian city of L'Aquila in late August. The city holds the tomb of Pope Celestine V, one of the few popes in history to resign from the job in 1294.
Similarly, Francis' predecessor Pope Benedict XVI visited L'Aquila a few years before he stepped down. Benedict was the first Pope to resign since Celestine.
According to the Associated Press, Italian and Catholic media have been rife with unsourced speculation that the 85-year-old Francis might be planning to follow in Benedict's footsteps.
Adding fuel to the fire, Pope Francis last week announced a plan to create 21 new cardinals -- a move some believe Francis made to "stack" the College of Cardinals with voting-age cardinals.
"While there is no guarantee how the cardinals might vote, the chances that they will tap a successor who shares Francis’ pastoral priorities become ever greater," the AP reported.
The report also notes that Francis has been experiencing mobility problems that have forced him to use a wheelchair for the last month.
Francis, who was elected in 2013, originally predicted a short papacy for himself and praised Benedict's decision to retire as setting an example for future popes.
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