The Vatican has detailed laws and rituals to ensure the transfer of power when a pope dies or resigns, but not when he is sick

Discover the longest serving popes in history, whose enduring legacy continues to shape the Church long after their tenure has ended.

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

The slight kidney insufficiency detected on Sunday was not causing current alarm, doctors said, but they were guarded on his prognosis.

Time-honored rituals, drafted and refined over centuries, allow for ritual mourning and provide order at a dramatic moment of transition.

Pope Francis, 88, is in critical condition due to pneumonia. If he passes away, the Vatican will follow a structured process—confirming his death, breaking the papal seal, holding a nine-day mourning period,

The death of a pope triggers a series of ancient traditions, some dating back to the Roman Empire. Here’s what would unfold if Pope Francis were to pass away.

Francis' age and prolonged illness has revived interest about how papal power is exercised in the Holy See, how it is transferred and under what circumstances.