“On the Church Appointments (Repeal of Discriminatory Provision) Bill, I am not sure that many of us Jews and Catholics have really felt discriminated against since 1829 by the provisions that are being repealed…“.

Sir Edward Leigh, Gainsborough (Con). 

Papal incapacity

The unexpected announcement that Pope Leo XIV was to be admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on 13 October again raised the issue of governance of the Roman Catholic Church during a period when the pope is unconscious or otherwise incapacitated. This was addressed following the resignation of Benedict XVI, here and here, and most recently reviewed when Pope Francis underwent three-hour surgery on 7 June 2023; now as then, the Pope remains the highest authority in the Vatican and the Catholic Church, even while under anaesthesia or hospitalised.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 882) affirms the Pope’s supreme authority, although it does not address when he cannot exercise it.  Likewise, his supreme authority in the Church is defined in Canons 330 to 335. The Roman Curia continues day-to-day administration, particularly through the Secretary of State, who oversees much of the Vatican’s routine governmental work. During Pope Francis’s hospitalisations, Cardinal Pietro Parolin continued to manage ordinary affairs. More detailed analyses of the legislation are here and here.

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