Platforms like BetUS and Polymarket are now featuring odds on who might become the next leader of the Catholic Church.

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.

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

As Pope Francis remains hospitalized, speculation intensifies over who could be the next leader of the Catholic Church

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.

The Vatican shared an update on Pope Francis' health, confirming stability after 16 days in hospital for pneumonia. The Pontiff remains on oxygen but is improving.

The Vatican says Pope Francis has continued making decisions and is improving, but his two-week hospital stay poses uncomfortable, unanswered questions about Vatican decision-making.

Pope Francis has come down with a serious illness that could potentially force him to resign, but who would succeed him?

And there are no specific norms outlining what happens to the leadership of the Catholic Church if a pope becomes ... the secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. In a sign that Francis ...

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And there are no specific norms outlining what happens to the leadership of the Catholic Church if a pope becomes ... the secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. In a sign that Francis ...