The Vatican’s Rules for Transferring Power: What Happens When a Pope is Sick or Incapacitated?
VATICAN CITY — While the Vatican has detailed laws and rituals to ensure the transfer of power when a pope dies or resigns, they do not apply if he is sick or even unconscious. And there are no specific norms outlining what happens to the leadership of the Catholic Church if a pope becomes totally incapacitated.
As a result, even though Pope Francis remains hospitalized in critical condition with a complex lung infection, he is still pope and very much in charge. The Vatican said Sunday that Francis was conscious and still receiving supplemental oxygen. He rested during a peaceful night after he had a prolonged respiratory crisis a day earlier that required high flows of oxygen to help him breathe.
Still, Francis’ hospital stay is raising questions about what happens if he loses consciousness for a prolonged period, or whether he might follow in Pope Benedict XVI’s footsteps and resign if he becomes unable to lead. On Monday, Francis’ hospital stay will hit the 10-day mark, equaling the length of his 2021 hospital stay for surgery to remove 13 inches of his colon.
The Role of the Pope
The pope is the successor of the Apostle Peter, the head of the college of bishops, the Vicar of Christ and the pastor of the universal Catholic Church on Earth, according to the church’s in-house canon law. Nothing has changed in his status, role or power since Francis was elected the 266th pope on March 13, 2013. That status is by theological design.
The Vatican Curia
Francis may be in charge, but he already delegates the day-to-day running of the Vatican and church to a team of officials who operate whether he is in the Apostolic Palace or not, and whether he is conscious or not. Chief among them is the secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. In a sign that Francis’ hospitalization foresaw no change to the governance of the church, Parolin was in Burkina Faso when Francis entered the hospital on Feb. 14. Parolin is now back at the Vatican.
What Happens When a Pope Gets Sick?
Canon law does have provisions for when a bishop gets sick and can’t run his diocese, but none for a pope. Canon 412 says a diocese can be declared "impeded" if its bishop — due to "captivity, banishment, exile, or incapacity" — cannot fulfill his pastoral functions. In such cases, the day-to-day running of the diocese shifts to an auxiliary bishop, a vicar general or someone else.
Even though Francis is the bishop of Rome, no explicit provision exists for the pope if he similarly becomes "impeded." Canon 335 declares simply that when the Holy See is "vacant or entirely impeded," nothing can be altered in the governance of the church. But it doesn’t say what it means for the Holy See to be "entirely impeded" or what provisions might come into play if it ever were.
What about the Letters?
Francis confirmed in 2022 that shortly after he was elected pope he wrote a letter of resignation, to be invoked if he became medically incapacitated. He said he gave it to the then-secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, and said he assumed Bertone had delivered it to Parolin’s office when he retired. The text is not public, and the conditions Francis contemplated for a resignation are unknown. It is also not known if such a letter would be canonically valid. Canon law requires a papal resignation to be "freely and properly manifested" — as was the case when Benedict announced his resignation in 2013.
What Happens When a Pope Dies or Resigns?
The only time papal power changes hands is when a pope dies or resigns. At that time, a whole series of rites and rituals comes into play governing the "interregnum" — the period between the end of one pontificate and the election of a new pope. During that period, known as the "sede vacante," or "empty See," the camerlengo, or chamberlain, runs the administration and finances of the Holy See. He certifies the pope’s death, seals the papal apartments and prepares for the pope’s burial before a conclave to elect a new pope.
Conclusion
In the absence of clear guidelines for a pope’s incapacitation, the Catholic Church’s governance is left in limbo. While the pope’s power remains, the question remains: what happens if he becomes unable to lead?
FAQs
Q: What happens if the pope becomes incapacitated?
A: There are no clear guidelines for dealing with a pope’s incapacitation. The church’s laws and rituals are geared towards the transfer of power upon death or resignation, not incapacitation.
Q: Can the pope resign if he becomes incapacitated?
A: The pope has written a letter of resignation to be invoked if he becomes medically incapacitated, but its validity is unclear. The conditions he contemplated for a resignation are also unknown.
Q: Who would take over if the pope resigns?
A: The College of Cardinals would name a commission to govern the church, with periodical medical checks to determine the pope’s status.
Q: What happens to the pope’s duties and responsibilities?
A: The pope’s duties and responsibilities would be delegated to a team of officials, including the secretary of state and other senior officials.
