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.

Vatican City: While the Vatican has detailed laws and rituals to ensure the transition of power when a pope dies or resigns, no such norms exist for cases where a pope becomes severely ill or unconscious. As a result, despite being hospitalised in critical condition with a complex lung infection, Pope Francis remains in charge.

Cardinals, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), are bishops and Vatican officials from all over the world who are personally chosen by the pope. They are recognizable by their red vestments and they elect a new pope when the time comes.