What happens if a pope is in a coma?

If the Pope spends enough time in a coma, you end up in a situation where bishops can’t retire when they reach retirement age (75), because there’s no one to accept their resignations or appoint their successors. Apparently, there are no established procedures in place to deal with this contingency.

What happens if the pope is incapacitated?

The camerlengo has no role or duties if the pope is merely sick or otherwise incapacitated. “You have two options: Either you have a pope or you don’t have one, and as long as you have a pope — and in the case here, he’s not dead — he governs the church,” Martens said. “Even if he’s dying, he governs the church.”

What happens when the Pope gets sick?

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A POPE GETS SICK? Canon law does have provisions for when a diocesan bishop gets sick and can’t run his diocese, but none for a pope. In such cases, the day-to-day running of the diocese shifts to an auxiliary bishop, a vicar general or someone else.

When pope dies Who is in charge?

The death of a pope puts into motion a formal, age-old process that includes certifying his death, arranging for the body to lie in state, organizing a funeral and preparing for the election of a successor. The pope’s chief of staff, or camerlengo, is in charge of all arrangements.

Can a pope abdicate?

A papal renunciation (Latin: renuntiatio) occurs when the reigning pope of the Catholic Church voluntarily steps down from his position. The most recent pope to resign was Benedict XVI, who vacated the Holy See on 28 February 2013. He was the first pope to do so since Gregory XII in 1415.

Who looks after the pope?

Swiss Guard

Pontifical Swiss Guard
Ceremonial Commander-in-Chief	Pope Francis
Commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard	Christoph Graf
Vice Commander	Philippe Morard

What happens if the pope is killed?

When the pope dies, the prefect of the papal household (Bishop James Harvey) informs the camerlengo or chamberlain who must verify his death in the presence of the papal master of ceremonies, the cleric prelates of the Apostolic Camera, and the secretary of the Apostolic Camera who draws up a death certificate.

What does the Vatican do when the pope dies?

The cardinals are locked, with a key, into the Sistine Chapel with no access to the outside world. All cardinals under the age of 80 when the Pope dies are eligible to vote in the conclave, even those that may have been excommunicated. Under Vatican law, it is their right to vote for the Pope.