The pope has suffered from pneumonia in both lungs and experienced a “long asthmatic respiratory crisis” over the weekend.

Reports of Pope Francis' critical health condition have put global media outlets including CNN, CBS and NBC, in high gear to descend upon Rome.

Time-honored rituals, drafted and refined over centuries, allow time for mourning and provide order at a dramatic moment of transition.

While the Vatican has detailed laws and rituals to ensure the transfer of power when a pope dies or resigns, they do not apply if he is sick or even unconscious. And there are no specific norms outlining what happens to the leadership of the Catholic Church if a pope becomes totally incapacitated.

Pope Francis, head of the Roman Catholic Church, has held his title for 12 years. What to know about the Jesuit.

The Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis is currently hospitalized due to double pneumonia also known as bilateral pneumonia that affects the lungs. According to the Vatican, Pope was admitted to the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic for diagnostic tests and treatment for bronchitis.