The Pope is not out of danger, Vatican sources have said, with his prognosis still unclear - but he has had coffee this morning.
Time-honored rituals, drafted and refined over centuries, allow time for mourning and provide order at a dramatic moment of transition.
The Pope has had an "isolated" breathing crisis as he is treated in hospital for double pneumonia, the Vatican has said.
There has long been a Vatican taboo against openly talking about a conclave when a pope is sick: It’s considered gauche to speculate about the election of a new pope while the current one is fighting for his life.
The Vatican press office has released a statement saying the pope had a peaceful evening of rest in hospital and is continuing his recovery in the hospital on Friday.