Signed by the pope and dated Feb. 11, three days before Pope Francis was hospitalized, the decree was released by the Vatican Feb. 26.

Canon law states that a pope can resign, but it stipulates that the papal resignation must be “made freely and properly manifested”—conditions that would be difficult to ascertain if a pope were already incapacitated.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, will lead a public recitation of the rosary at 9 p.m. Feb. 24 in St. Peter’s Square.

Pope Francis’ hospital stay is raising obvious questions about what happens if he loses consciousness for a prolonged period, or whether he might follow in Pope Benedict XVI’s footsteps and resign if he becomes unable to lead.

A British court backed a Vatican tribunal's ruling that financier Raffaele Mancione defrauded the Holy See of tens of millions of euros related to a London property.

British army veteran Adam Smith-Connor, recently converted to the Catholic faith, said he was “grateful” that Vance raised his case when he warned Europe about retreating from freedom.