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

A special meeting of Cardinals has reportedly been scheduled, though the Vatican denies that it is linked to any announcement of the 88-year-old pontiff stepping down. Still, others ask why the Pope hasn't at least appeared from his hospital window.

The Vatican says Pope Francis has continued making decisions and is improving, but his two-week hospital stay poses uncomfortable, unanswered questions about Vatican decision-making.

Concerns over Pope Francis' health have mounted in recent years as have questions about his succession. Here's what we know.

VERY TARGETED THERAPY' Gemelli hospital, Rome's largest, has a special suite for treating popes, and is known especially for often treating the late Pope John Paul II during his long papacy. Francis spent nine days at Gemelli in June 2023, when he had ...

Pope Francis has come down with a serious illness that could potentially force him to resign, but who would succeed him?

When each pope takes on the role of religious leader of the Catholic church, they adopt a brand new name, and it's usually inspired by a past leader with meaningful reasons

Pope Francis’ medical team says the pontiff's condition isn’t life-threatening. But they said Friday that Francis isn't out of danger.

Rome's Gemelli hospital, where Pope Francis is being treated for pneumonia, is the favoured choice of pontiffs — to the point of being dubbed "Vatican III" by John Paul II. The 88-year-old Francis is on his fourth stay at the Gemelli since 2021.