Pope Francis' approach to LGBTQ issues marked a major, if mixed, shift in tone for the Catholic Church -- from scorn to tolerance and acceptance.

Argentines have long waited for Pope Francis to visit the homeland he left in 2013 to become the head of the Roman Catholic Church. With his health delicate as he battles double pneumonia, the return seems increasingly unlikely now to happen.

The Vatican has not announced Pope Francis is resigning, contrary to online claims. Further, his successor would be elected by Cardinals, not Francis.

Time-honored rituals, drafted and refined over centuries, allow time for mourning and provide order at a dramatic moment of transition.

TORVAIANICA, Italy — Moira Camila Garnica and a group of fellow migrant transgender women have been gathering at their parish church to pray for Pope Francis as he continues to battle pneumonia in a Rome hospital, about an hour away from this modest seaside town.

A Nigerian Catholic priest said if Pope Francis dies, God would give the church another Pope. He said the church is transparent about his hospitalisation.

Argentines have long waited for Pope Francis to visit the homeland he left in 2013 to become the head of the Roman Catholic Church. With his health delicate as he battles double pneumonia, the return seems increasingly unlikely now to happen.