Suggestions that he may be in the early stages of congestive heart failure.
http://news.yahoo.com/why-pope-francis-canceling-events-010000168--politics.html
Some quotes from the article:
The worries began last week, when the pope spontaneously canceled his Monday and Tuesday engagements after his historic trip to the Holy Land and Peace prayer with leaders from Israel and Palestine, sending the Vatican press corps in Rome into a minor moment of panic. This week’s announcement of his amended schedule has only added to the speculation that the pope’s health is suffering.
This change in the Pope's behavior began immediately after the Vatican Gardens prayer meeting with the Jєωs and Moslems that was so controversial. (See
this other thread.)
The Vatican may be brushing off concern, but even Francis seems to be fully aware of his immortality [sic].
The article seems to have a typo where instead of "mortality" it says "
immortality." It would make more sense to have, "The Vatican may be brushing off concern, but even Francis seems to be fully aware of his mortality."
During an a visit to the Sant Egidio charity in Rome’s Trastevere district on Sunday, the pope braved torrential rainstorms to greet the poor, and finished the event by asking the crowds to pray for him. “My work is unhealthy, extraordinary work and I need prayer,” he said.
And last week, when he was asked he took risks by traveling through massive crowds without the bullet-proof “sardine can” pope mobile during an interview with Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia, he said he left his fate in God’s hands. “It’s true that anything could happen,” the pontiff replied. “But let’s face it, at my age I don’t have much to lose.”
He is curtailing his activities but he is otherwise taking more risks. Meanwhile he asks for our prayers. Of course, sedevacantists will be of little help in the prayer department, since they omit "Francis" in their prayers deliberately.
The Fatima children reminded us that we should offer
prayers AND PENANCE for the Holy Father,
who will have much to suffer. When the two angels came to Sodom, Lot met them by prostrating himself on the ground in imitation of Abraham, and it was by the
merits of (the
penances of) Abraham that Lot received the blessing of salvation from the Angels. (The 'salvation' was literally being saved from the destruction of the city, but analogically it is eternal salvation as applies to us, today. The notes have "merits" but we know that means merits due to Abraham's
penances.)
Source Genesis xix. 1:
And the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of the city. And seeing them, he rose up and went to meet them: and worshipped prostrate to the ground. Ver. 1. Ground. Thus shewing himself a true relation and imitator of Abraham.
...
29
Now when God destroyed the cities of that country, remembering Abraham, he delivered Lot out of the destruction of the cities wherein he had dwelt. Ver. 29. Lot. Even he owed his safety to the merits of Abraham.
.