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.

Vatican City: While the Vatican has detailed laws and rituals to ensure the transition of power when a pope dies or resigns, no such norms exist for cases where a pope becomes severely ill or unconscious. As a result, despite being hospitalised in critical condition with a complex lung infection, Pope Francis remains in charge.

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.

Vatican officials announced on Sunday that Pope Francis is currently suffering from mild renal insufficiency, also known as kidney failure, amid his treatment for bilateral pneumonia.

Pope Francis, who has been hospitalized for more than a week, remains in “critical” condition and developed an “asthmatic respiratory crisis” earlier on Saturday, the Vatican said in a statement.