The Vatican has dismissed speculation that Pope Francis is suffering from problems with his eyesight, after the Pontiff set aside his prepared text during several addresses at World Youth Day.
In one particularly noticeable case, on Friday morning, the Pope appeared to have trouble reading his text. During his meeting with journalists on his return flight to Rome, the Pope faced an unusually blunt question from a French journalist: “Have you had eye problems?” The Pontiff replied that he could not read because “the light was in my eyes.” A statement from Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed: “The problem with his sight was due to the lighting, which produced a reflection on his glasses.”
Pope Francis said that he cut short his prepared remarks on other occasions because he wanted to hold the interest of his audience. “Young people don’t have a long attention span,” he remarked.