Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of the Vatican City State, has been in the hospital since February 14. As the possibility of his death is discussed, some questions regarding governance have arisen. What happens to the church and state affairs in the theocratic state of the Vatican when Popes are unable to fulfill their duties or pass away?

The spiritual leader of the approximately 1.2 billion members of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of the Vatican City State, Pope Francis, has been struggling with respiratory issues for some time.

In the world’s smallest state and the central governing body of the Catholic Church, the Vatican, the country’s governance, and the sole authoritative figure at the helm of the Catholic Church continue to operate smoothly under certain rules when the Pope is incapacitated or unable to perform his duties. Although the situation of Pope Francis, who was hospitalized for severe bronchitis at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome on February 14 and continues to undergo treatment for bilateral pneumonia, initially took a “complex” turn, signs of slight improvement have started to emerge in recent days. The Vatican, in its daily notifications regarding the health of the 88-year-old Pope, shares that he has been reading some texts and working in his sickbed. The process of how the church and state affairs are carried out when Popes fall ill, are unable to perform their duties, or pass away in the theocratic state of the Vatican is outlined by Anadolu Agency.

SERVING UNTIL DEATH
While the Pope, who is the head of the Catholic Church and the Vatican State, does not have an official deputy with the same full authority as himself, according to church norms, there is no mechanism in place to determine who would temporarily take over his role in cases like severe illness. The Pope can remain in office until his death or, in rare cases, until the day he resigns, being the sole and absolute authority in terms of church governance as per church law. Therefore, as Pope Francis, who is currently battling for his life in the hospital, is still the only authoritative figure concerning all matters within the Vatican, and unless he resigns, there is no regulation in place for his removal from office due to illness.

ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONING IN THE CHURCH GOVERNMENT
In the absence of the Pope in the hospital, the daily administrative operations of the Catholic Church and the Vatican City State are managed by the Papal Cabinet, known as the Curia of the church. The Curia consists of the Secretary of State (Prime Minister), the Secretary for General Affairs (Interior Minister), the Secretary for Relations with States (Foreign Minister), as well as 16 Dicasteries (Ministries) in religious, social, cultural, and church administrative areas, as well as other subunits like justice and economy. The Secretary of State, who is the second highest ranking official in the Vatican, plays a larger role in managing church affairs, but without the direct consent of the Pope, he cannot make significant doctrinal decisions or appointments.

A SIGNATURE FROM THE SICKBED WAS ENOUGH
The Curia can only carry out daily routine administrative tasks; it does not have the authority to make significant, critical decisions that belong to the Pope. For instance, on the 4th day of receiving treatment in the hospital, Pope Francis signed a decision from his sickbed to remove Monsignor Jean-Pierre Blais, who was accused of sexual abuse, from his position in the Baie-Comeau Bishopric in Quebec. Furthermore, the Vatican mentions that Pope Francis continues to do some readings during the day while he receives medical treatment.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN POPES DIE?
Once elected, a Pope usually remains in office until death. However, very rare circumstances, such as the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI in 2013 due to health issues, can also occur in the history of the Catholic Church. In such a case, the incumbent Pope announces his resignation, and the Vatican administration declares “Sede Vacante,” Latin for “the seat being empty.” Subsequently, the process begins to appoint a new Pope among the cardinals, who are the most important clergy after the Pope. In the event of the death of the spiritual leader of the Catholics, the Vatican also declares “Sede Vacante,” and the Camerlengo (Papal Chamberlain) appointed by the Pope before his death is responsible for managing temporal affairs with limited powers until the new Pope is elected. The Camerlengo does not possess any special administrative authority if the Pope is sick but still in office. The Camerlengo Cardinal confirms the death of the Pope, seals his private rooms, holds the funeral, while preparing for the election of the new Pope in conjunction with the Dean of the College of Cardinals.

PAPAL ELECTION PROCESS
The Cardinal Dean, who is the Dean of the College of Cardinals, invites the College of Cardinals (Conclave), consisting of Cardinals who have not yet reached the age of 80, to the Vatican for the Papal Election. The College of Cardinals, which generally consists of 115 to 120 cardinals, chooses the new Pope among themselves behind closed doors at the historic Sistine Chapel. If a Cardinal receives a two-thirds majority in the election, he is declared the new Pope if he accepts the position. The last Conclave was held after Pope Benedict XVI resigned on February 28, 2013. In the two-day Conclave on March 12-13, 2013, Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was chosen as the new Pope and took the name Pope Francis.