Francis has weighed in publicly before on ethics for end-of-life medical situations, but it is unknown whether he has made known his own wishes should he face such a crossroads.

Pope Francis’s battle with double pneumonia is the most serious health complication the pontiff has suffered from since taking the Chair of St. Peter in 2013.

Raffaella Petrini has been appointed as the first female President of the Vatican City State becoming the governor of the 44-hectare area.

Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, LC, president of the Governorate of Vatican City State and president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, celebrated his 80th birthday on Saturday, March 1, marking his departure from these crucial Vatican positions.

Another woman is stepping into a high-ranking role in the Vatican: Sister Raffaella Petrini, an Italian nun, was appointed president of the Vatican City State on Saturday. This essentially makes her the governor of the 44-hectare (108-acre) territory in Rome that serves as the heart of the Catholic Church.

Despite his ongoing stay at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital and his precarious health status, Pope Francis has established a commission aimed at boosting donations in the Catholic Church as it faces a crippling deficit.

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

The Vatican, though, made alternative plans for Ash Wednesday next week, making clear Francis still had a long road ahead. Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, a Vatican official and former vicar of Rome, will preside over the March 5 ceremony and procession that inaugurates the church’s solemn Lenten season leading up to Easter in April.