Global media outlets, including CNN, CBS and NBC, are getting ready to descend upon Rome and Vatican City following reports that Pope Francis is in critical condition. Logistical aspects such as renting terrace space to get the best camera angles of St.

The Vatican says Pope Francis remains in critical condition and blood tests show early kidney failure but he remains alert and “well-oriented.”

Time-honored rituals, drafted and refined over centuries, allow for ritual mourning and provide order at a dramatic moment of transition.