The cognitive benefits of purpose and routine may support Pope Leo XIV’s longevity in office. Photo / Getty Images
The cognitive benefits of purpose and routine may support Pope Leo XIV’s longevity in office. Photo / Getty Images
Such a demanding job can be good for the brain and body. But Pope Leo XIV may also have to contend with challenges that are common in old age.
For a pontiff, Pope Leo XIV is young. At 69, he’s seven years junior to his predecessor Francis when he becamepope, and nine years to Benedict XVI before him.
Still, the new pope is already older than many people are when they retire. And he is not simply adopting a new hobby. He is taking on a high-stakes, high-stress role that he is expected to occupy until death.
“The papacy is an enormous effort for any person,” said Dr Nelson Castro, a physician and journalist who was close to Francis and wrote the book “The Health of Popes”. The pope is a head of state and the global head of the Catholic Church, responsible for overseeing church theology, appointing cardinals and bishops, celebrating Masses and undertaking pilgrimages to far-flung destinations.
“He has a heavy job to do, and his health will be a key factor,” Castro said.
The “biggest benefit” of working well into old age is cognitive, said Mara Mather, a professor of gerontology at the University of Southern California. The brain is still adaptable, even into old age, she said; learning new skills on the job can preserve a person’s ability to think and process new information, despite the decline that naturally comes with getting older.
Leo may already be at lower risk for age-related cognitive decline, she added: studies show that people with at least a college education or who speak multiple languages (both of which are true for Leo) can function normally for longer than peers without those degrees and skills, even if they have neurodegenerative diseases.
What’s more, having a sense of purpose increases one’s positive outlook and reduces the likelihood of late-life depression and dementia, said Dr Margaret Flanagan, a neuropathologist at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
James Martin, a Jesuit priest and a consultant to the Vatican’s communications office who knew Francis, said the papacy checks all three boxes. “He has 1.4 billion Catholics to engage with. He has a sense of purpose from Jesus Christ. Given that he’s writing encyclicals and homilies and books, he certainly has cognitive engagement,” Martin said.
At 69, Pope Leo XIV is younger than both of his immediate predecessors at the start of their papacies. Photo / Getty Images
It also comes with risks
Becoming Pope brings new stressors, including a high profile and diplomatic pressures that could be mentally taxing. In recent decades, the Catholic Church has had to contend with a string of sex-abuse scandals, internal political divisions, and thorny questions about theology and its role on the global political stage.
“If there’s any problem in the church, it’s you,” Martin said. “You’re always on call, you’re always the pope.”
One of the most gruelling elements of the job might be all the travel. Just last fall, Francis, at 87 and using a wheelchair, flew to Papua New Guinea as part of an 11-day, four-nation visit to Asia and the Pacific.
“When he’s in those countries, he’s doing a Mass in the morning, a talk in the afternoon, meeting with heads of state,” Martin said.
The chronic stress that comes with being in such a prominent role can also raise the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular issues, as well as weaken the immune system, said Dr Roberto Vicinanza, an instructional associate professor of gerontology at the University of Southern California. And as we age, the body is less able to recover quickly from stress, he said.
The daily demands of the job, coupled with the pressure to stay in the position for life, could also increase the pope’s risk of burnout, which “in turn can lead to longer recovery times for illness and poorer mental health,” said Aaron Guest, an assistant professor of ageing at Arizona State University.
In addition, he could face hearing loss, forgetfulness or decreased mobility, all common issues for people in their 60s and 70s. It may also be harder to multitask, meet deadlines or react to stressors quickly, said Dr R. Sean Morrison, chair of the geriatrics and palliative medicine department at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
The spiritual practice itself may be good for his brain and body
Some studies of older American adults have shown that weekly attendance at religious services is associated with lower rates of depression and of premature death, said Dr Warren Kinghorn, a psychiatrist and theological ethicist at Duke University. That’s partly because religious practice tends to be associated with other healthy behaviours, like not smoking or drinking heavily, Kinghorn said.
The Nun Study, which followed 678 Catholic nuns over several decades to study ageing and dementia, showed that those who remained intellectually, socially and spiritually active into their 80s and 90s often maintained better cognitive and physical function than those who did not, said Flanagan, who now directs the study.
The basics still matter
The Pope needs to exercise, eat a good diet and get sufficient sleep to stay healthy, Castro said. “Those are the normal things that everybody must do in order to keep his health,” he said. “Popes are human beings.”
By all accounts thus far, Leo is in good health, Castro noted. He has an affinity for tennis, and the Vatican does have a court. John Paul II famously hiked and skied for years into his papacy and had a swimming pool built at the Pope’s summer residence. Benedict played the piano.
Still, ageing varies widely from person to person, and how Leo fares – and how long he occupies the papacy – will depend largely on his individual condition and philosophy, experts said.
John Paul II survived an assassination attempt and later developed Parkinson’s disease, becoming debilitated by the end of his papacy. Benedict broke with tradition and stepped down, saying he was no longer strong enough to carry out his papal duties. Francis worked until the day he died.
“I have many patients who are making major societal contributions well into their 70s, 80s and even 90s,” Morrison said, adding: “It’s much more important to focus on physiological and cognitive ability rather than chronological age.”
