Despite Pope Francis remaining hospitalized in Rome, the pontiff is still very much in charge of the Catholic Church. Still, Francis' hospital stay is raising obvious questions about what happens if he loses consciousness for a prolonged period or whether he might follow in Pope Benedict XVI's footsteps and resign if he becomes unable to lead.

Canon law states that a pope can resign, but it stipulates that the papal resignation must be “made freely and properly manifested”—conditions that would be difficult to ascertain if a pope were already incapacitated.