Pope Francis might have rekindled rumors that he will step down by extolling in a Sunday prayer the "virtue of stepping aside at the right time."
Using the example of John the Baptist as exhibiting "the sign of a true educator," Francis said he wasn't interested in holding on to a following or being praised for his success, the Independent Catholic News reported.
"To step aside, to learn to take one's leave: I have completed this mission, I have had this meeting, I will step aside and leave room to the Lord. To learn to step aside, not to take something for ourselves in recompense," Francis said of John's example.
"May Mary, the servant of the Lord, help us to be free from attachments, to make way for the Lord and to give space to others," Francis prayed before a crowd at St. Peter's Square.
Francis previously said he would step down from his role as pontiff if his health deteriorated, but dismissed general speculation about it, the Daily Mail noted.
"It is easy to become attached to roles and positions, to the need to be esteemed, recognized and rewarded," he said.
The Sunday Angelus is a regular prayer led by the Pope, who first gives a reflection on the gospel and then leads the faithful in prayer from the window of his study.
The Telegraph reported that it's unlikely Pope Francis would step down while Pope Benedict XVI was alive to avoid a situation where three Popes were living in the Vatican at the same time. Benedict XVI, who died Dec. 31, resigned in 2013, citing his declining health.
Benedict's resignation raised speculation that Francis could do the same. In December, Francis told CNN he had already signed a resignation letter years ago to take effect if he become "impaired" by health issues or an accident.
Speculation grew after Francis visited the Italian city of L'Aquila, associated with Pope Celestine V, who resigned in 1294. Yet Francis insisted in July he had no plans to step down.
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