A secret meeting, and echoes of Benedict’s exit, have heightened talk that Francis could resign, too. But the possibility is anyone’s guess.

(AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) FILE-- A mosaic icon of Pope Francis is lifted to be placed next to the icon of Benedict XVI inside St. Peter and Paul’s Basilica in Rome, Monday, Dec. 9, 2013. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) FILE-- The tapestries showing late ...

Francis' hospital stay is raising 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.

Pope Benedict XVI waves to well-wishers in the penultimate day of his papacy ... and church officials tasked with selecting the next pope — had already arrived in Rome. March 1, 2013, marked the beginning of a short “interregnum” period before ...

Concerns over Pope Francis' health have mounted in recent years as have questions about his succession. Here's what we know.

Francis was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14 after a case of bronchitis worsened; doctors later diagnosed a complex respiratory infection, involving bacteria, virus and other organisms and the onset of pneumonia in both lungs on top of asthmatic bronchitis. They prescribed “absolute rest.”

Concerns over Pope Francis' health have mounted in recent years as have questions about his succession. Here's what we know.

Pope Francis marked the one-week point Friday in his hospital stay, getting up to eat breakfast as the 88-year-old pontiff continued fighting pneumonia and a complex respiratory infection, the Vatican said.