He plans to continue traveling in the near future.

Pope Francis, 85, has said he needs to travel less and possibly retire.

He told reporters this during a press conference on board his plane, reports AP.

According to the pontiff, the week-long pilgrimage to Canada was a “small test” for him. He admitted that he can no longer travel as before due to sprained knee ligaments. He used a wheelchair during this trip.”I think that at my age and with these limitations, I should conserve (my energy) to be able to serve the Church, or, on the contrary, think about the possibility of stepping away from business,” he said.

The Pope admitted that he had not yet thought about resigning, but said that “the door is open.”It’s not surprising. It’s not a disaster. You can change the pope,” he said.

He plans to continue traveling in the near future.

“I will try to continue to travel and be closer to people, because I think that is a way of service, to be there. But I can’t say more than that,” he said on Saturday.

Earlier this year, he sprained the ligaments in his right knee. Laser and magnetic therapy forced him to cancel a trip to Africa scheduled for the first week of July.

He started using a wheelchair, a walker and a cane to get around.

Francis refused knee surgery, saying it would not necessarily help and noting that he was still suffering from the effects of six hours of anesthesia during colon surgery he underwent a year ago.

It will be recalled that Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope at the 2013 conclave. He is the first Jesuit pontiff. Took the name in honor of Francis of Assisi.