The Vatican houses the central government of the Catholic Church and is also an independent city-state. The pope is both the head of the Catholic Church and head of state. In order to govern both, he has the Roman Curia, meaning “court.” In modern terms, the Curia is the papal bureaucracy. It is an extension of the pope’s authority.

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

Pope Francis’s battle with double pneumonia is the most serious health complication the pontiff has suffered from since taking the Chair of St. Peter in 2013.

Francis has weighed in publicly before on ethics for end-of-life medical situations, but it is unknown whether he has made known his own wishes should he face such a crossroads.

Who leads the Catholic Church when the Pope is sick? - Nothing has changed in his status, role or power since Francis was elected the 266th pope on March 13, 2013

As Pope Francis remains in critical condition at Gemelli Hospital in Rome - still in charge of the Vatican and the worldwide Roman Catholic church - millions of the devout are praying for his full recovery,

If he were to do so, the church would elect a new pope through a process known as a conclave. Here is everything you need to know about the conclave and the steps that are traditionally taken to choose a new pope.