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

Pope Francis remained in critical condition Monday but showed slight improvement and resumed some work activities

While the Vatican has detailed laws and rituals to ensure the transfer of power when a pope dies or resigns, they do not apply if he is sick or even unconscious. And there are no specific norms outlining what happens to the leadership of the Catholic Church if a pope becomes totally incapacitated.

The eyes of millions around the world are on Pope Francis who is reported to be in critical condition. Moldova's government, a fierce critic of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, appealed to the country's clergy on Sunday to "tell the truth" about the war,

The Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis is currently hospitalized due to double pneumonia also known as bilateral pneumonia that affects the lungs. According to the Vatican, Pope was admitted to the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic for diagnostic tests and treatment for bronchitis.