As Pope Francis remains hospitalized, speculation intensifies over who could be the next leader of the Catholic Church
Following the death of a pope, or in rare cases of resignation such as with Pope Benedict XVI, the Vatican convenes a papal conclave, in which the College of Cardinals come together to elect the Church’s next head.
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
The Vatican’s Secretary of State Pietro Cardinal Parolin emphasised that military action must respect human rights during a visit to Burkina Faso, where the