While he is not currently considering resigning, Pope Francis said he would not stay on at the Vatican if he were to step down.
"No, certainly not," the 85-year-old pope told Mexican-US TV channel Televisa Univision, adding that he would also not return to Argentina, where he was born.
If he stepped down, he would then be bishop emeritus of Rome, he said, and would continue living and serving the faithful in Rome.
"If I live on, I would like something like this," he said.
Unlike his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis ruled out calling himself pope emeritus. However, he is not considering resigning at present, he said.
He praised Benedict XVI, who resigned his pontificate in 2013 and continues to live in the Vatican. "The example that Pope Benedict gave us was great," the pope said.
