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,

Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin visited Pope Francis at the 10th-floor hospital of Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Monday. Insiders suspect that Parolin may well become Pope Francis' dyed-in-the-wool successor.

As Pope Francis remains hospitalized, speculation intensifies over who could be 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

Entrusting the pope "to the powerful intercession of most holy Mary," the cardinal said, "may she sustain him in this time of illness and help him to recover."

Pope Francis met with the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, on Monday as he rested comfortably throughout the night into Tuesday, but he remained in critical condition.

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis, hospitalized in critical condition with double pneumonia, was well enough to meet with the Vatican secretary of state to approve new decrees for saints and call a formal meeting to set the dates for their canonization, the Vatican said Tuesday.

Despite his hospital stay, Pope Francis remains in charge of the Catholic Church. But what if his health continues to decline?