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, head of the Roman Catholic Church, has held his title for 12 years. What to know about the Jesuit.

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.