For Leo XIV, Becoming Pope Could Have Surprising Health Benefits

For a pontiff, Pope Leo XIV is young. At 69, he’s seven years junior to his predecessor Francis when he became pope, 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 Roman 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,” Dr. Castro said.

The job can have health benefits.

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.

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