What happens to papal power when a pope is unconscious? Nothing
By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press
ROME (AP) — Pope Francis’ surgery to repair a hernia in his abdominal wall has raised a question about what happens to papal power when Francis is unconscious or unable to lead the church. The answer: nothing. While Vatican has norms governing the transfer of power when popes resign or die, none of those norms apply to a sick or hospitalized pope. A group of canonists have recently set out to fill that legislative loophole.
