Pope Francisc

Francis (Latin: Franciscus PP.), until his election Jorge Mario Bergoglio - Pope of Rome since March 13 has stated that he will not live in the Vatican or in his native Argentina if he ever steps down as the head of the Roman Catholic Church, reported Associated Press, quoted by BTA.

In an interview broadcast today on the Spanish-language Televisa Univision, the pope said he has no plans to leave the Holy See, but if he does, he would like to find a church in Rome where he can continue to hear confessions.

"I am the bishop of Rome and in that case I would be the honorary bishop of Rome," he explains.

Francis, 85, has stressed that he has no plans to step down, but reiterated that "the door is open" after Pope Benedict XVI became the first pope in 800 years to resign in 2013.

"The first attempt went quite well because he is a holy and discreet man and he is doing well," Francis said of his predecessor.

But he adds that in the future "things need to be better outlined or things need to be made clearer".

Some cardinals and canon experts have long disputed Benedict's decisions since his retirement, incl.

that of continuing to wear the white papal cassock and retaining his papal name rather than reverting to the baptismal Joseph Ratzinger.

They say these decisions and the former pope's continued presence in the Vatican are confusing the faithful and threatening the unity of the Roman Catholic Church.

Pope Francis expressed solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka

Pope Francisc