The election of a new pope is a complex process involving hundreds of cardinals that can stretch up to weeks on end. But the general public seems to have found its own way to show support for their pontiffs of choice.

Pope Francis is on the mend, showing a slight improvement in his health, which has allowed him to welcome a visit from Cardinal Pietro Parolin. They discussed important matters concerning the Vatican,

The Vatican says Pope Francis has continued making decisions and is improving, but his two-week hospital stay poses uncomfortable, unanswered questions about Vatican decision-making.

Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin visited Pope Francis at the 10th-floor hospital of Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Monday. Insiders suspect that Parolin may well become Pope Francis' dyed-in-the-wool successor.

Pope Francis on Monday received a visit from Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the Substitute for General Affairs Mons. Edgar Pena Parra at Rome's Agostino Gemelli Hospital, the Vatican press office said in a bulletin on Tuesday.

As speculation mounts over Pope Francis’ health, online betting platforms are witnessing a surge in wagers on who might succeed him. While the selection of a new pontiff is an intricate and time-consuming process managed by the College of Cardinals,

Entrusting the pope "to the powerful intercession of most holy Mary," the cardinal said, "may she sustain him in this time of illness and help him to recover."

Pope Francis met with the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, on Monday as he rested comfortably throughout the night into Tuesday, but he remained in critical condition.