The Vatican houses the central government of the Catholic Church and is also an independent city-state. The pope is both the head of the Catholic Church and head of state. In order to govern both, he has the Roman Curia, meaning “court.” In modern terms, the Curia is the papal bureaucracy. It is an extension of the pope’s authority.

Following the death of a pope, or in rare cases of resignation such as with Pope Benedict XVI, the Vatican convenes a papal conclave, in which the College of Cardinals come together to elect the Church’s next head.

Pope Francis is on the mend, showing a slight improvement in his health, which has allowed him to welcome a visit from Cardinal Pietro Parolin. They discussed important matters concerning the Vatican,

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, who has been in hospital for 10 days now, is critical with mild signs of kidney failure. There is growing speculation about the 88-year-old pontiff’s successor. Who could it be?

Pope Francis on Monday received a visit from Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the Substitute for General Affairs Mons. Edgar Pena Parra at Rome's Agostino Gemelli Hospital, the Vatican press office said in a bulletin on Tuesday.

THE Pope wrote his resignation letter 12 years ago in case he became too ill to fulfil the holy role as he remains in a ‘critical’ state in hospital. The Pontiff has spent 10 nights in

The Vatican has set in motion nightly prayers for Pope Francis in the hope that he might recover and get back to leading the Catholic Church.