(AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) FILE-- A mosaic icon of Pope Francis is lifted to be placed next to the icon of Benedict XVI inside St. Peter and Paul’s Basilica in Rome, Monday, Dec. 9, 2013. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) FILE-- The tapestries showing late ...

A secret meeting, and echoes of Benedict’s exit, have heightened talk that Francis could resign, too. But the possibility is anyone’s guess.

Pope Benedict XVI waves to well-wishers in the penultimate day of his papacy ... and church officials tasked with selecting the next pope — had already arrived in Rome. March 1, 2013, marked the beginning of a short “interregnum” period before ...

Renewed interest in Vatican tradition on back of Conclave winning at the Baftas and updates on Pope Francis’ health

Can a sick pope continue to govern the Catholic Church? Who replaces him when he is no longer capable? The question arises as Pope Francis, 88, who has appeared frail in recent weeks, is once again hospitalized for bronchitis.

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

Pope Francis marked the one-week point Friday in his hospital stay, getting up to eat breakfast as the 88-year-old pontiff continued fighting pneumonia and a complex respiratory infection, the Vatican said.

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.

Francis was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14 after a case of bronchitis worsened; doctors later diagnosed a complex respiratory infection, involving bacteria, virus and other organisms and the onset of pneumonia in both lungs on top of asthmatic bronchitis. They prescribed “absolute rest.”