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, head of the Roman Catholic Church, has held his title for 12 years. What to know about the Jesuit.

The Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis is currently hospitalized due to double pneumonia also known as bilateral pneumonia that affects the lungs. According to the Vatican, Pope was admitted to the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic for diagnostic tests and treatment for bronchitis.

Pope Francis woke up and was continuing his therapies Monday after a quiet night, on the 10th day of his hospitalization for a complex lung infection that has provoked the early stages of kidney insufficiency,

Pope Francis' 10th night in the hospital "went well," according a brief Monday update from the Vatican. The big picture: But the Vatican did not provide any information on whether