While the Vatican has detailed laws and rituals to ensure the transfer of power when a pope dies or resigns, they do not apply if he is sick or even unconscious. And there are no specific norms outlining what happens to the leadership of the Catholic Church if a pope becomes totally incapacitated.

Pope Francis is in a critical condition at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, raising concerns about the Vatican's leadership and the Catholic Church's future. As speculation about his possible resignation grows,

Many who know him said that Francis, driven by a sense of mission and a discipline born of his early training, essentially worked himself into the hospital.