In his autobiography, Pope Francis mused about life in retirement, a door opened by his predecessor. He could envision retreating from the Holy See to Rome’s Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where he’d take confession and give Communion to the sick — not as a pope emeritus,

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

Pope Francis, who is being treated in hospital for double pneumonia, slept well overnight and is resting, the Vatican said in a brief statement on Thursday. The 88-year-old pontiff was spending his 14th day in Rome's Gemelli hospital after coming down with a severe respiratory infection that triggered various complications.