As Pope Francis remains in critical condition at Gemelli Hospital in Rome – still in charge of the Vatican and the worldwide Roman Catholic church – millions of the devout are praying for his full recovery, but also wonder how a seamless transition will occur if he is unable to serve. NBC Chicago’s Chuck Goudie reports.
As Pope Francis remains in critical condition at Gemelli Hospital in Rome - still in charge of the Vatican and the worldwide Roman Catholic church - millions of the devout are praying for his full recovery, but also wonder how a seamless transition will occur if he is unable to serve.
As old, intricate and rule-bound as the Vatican is, it is also an organization that has no procedures in place to deal with an incapacitated leader, according to DePaul University Catholic studies professor William Cavanaugh.
“Part of what makes this more urgent now is just that, because of the advancements of medicine, it's possible to keep people alive in ways that were not possible in previous centuries times” Cavanaugh told NBC 5 Investigates.
The 88-year-old pope is on record as saying he would only consider resigning if he suffered a “serious physical impediment.”
“He wrote a letter of resignation that is to be used in case he's incapacitated. He confirmed that a couple of years ago,” said Cavanaugh. “The question is, then, how does that come into operation? Who determines that he is incapacitated? Because, according to canon law, in order to resign, you've got to do it kind of willingly and of sound mind.”
Resignation is what Francis’ predecessor, Pope Benedict did on Feb. 28, 2013.
“So absolutely, he (Pope Benedict) has created a precedent,” said Kathleen Cummings, a history professor at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. “Pope Francis, surely if he believes himself not capable to fulfill the office, he will resign. So we hope he will recover quickly, but there is a very clear precedent in case he does not."
Local
A pope’s resignation or death triggers a centuries-old, secretive process of succession and requires what’s known as a Conclave. Such a gathering of Catholic cardinals from around the world has been depicted in a current Hollywood movie by the same name.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
At the Vatican in a post-Francis Conclave, there would be the 138 voting age members of the College of Cardinals, including Cardinal Blase Cupich, the Catholic Archbishop of Chicago.
“I think the movie portrays accurately the mechanisms of a conclave,” Cavanaugh told NBC 5 Investigates. “You know this happens when a pope dies or resigns, and then the Cardinals get together and they lock themselves into the Sistine Chapel and debate about it. And I think (the movie) accurately portrays that there's a lot of politicking that goes on.”
There are nearly 3.2 million Roman Catholics in the greater Chicago area and Northwest Indiana - at several dioceses and hundreds of parishes and schools - many of whom who are tracking the pope’s critical condition and keenly interested in who will be the next pope when the time comes. With so many new members of the College of Cardinals, there is even renewed talk of an American pope.
According to Cavanaugh, right now, anything is possible.
Pope Francis was in critical but stable condition Tuesday as he worked from the hospital while battling double pneumonia, and the Vatican announced some major governing decisions that suggest he is getting essential work done and looking ahead.
The Vatican’s evening update said the 88-year-old pope had had no new respiratory crises and that his blood parameters were stable. He underwent a follow-up CAT scan Tuesday evening to check the lung infection, but no results were provided. Doctors said his prognosis remained guarded.
“In the morning, after receiving the Eucharist, he resumed work activities,” the Vatican statement said.
