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

The pope was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on February 14 after experiencing difficulty breathing for several days and subsequently had pneumonia diagnosed in both lungs.

Pope Francis, who has been in hospital for 10 days now, is critical with mild signs of kidney failure. There is growing speculation about the 88-year-old pontiff’s successor. Who could it be?

With Pope Francis remaining in critical condition fighting a complex respiratory infection and bilateral pneumonia, the cardinals and curial officials in Rome have organized a rosary and special Mass for the pontiff.

Father Nunzio Corrao, the chaplain at Gemelli, led a special prayer session for the pope on Monday inside the St. John Paul II chapel. "At this moment, I would like us to ask for the same faith as Abraham, the 'spes contra spem,' hope against all hope ...

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.