With Pope Francis entering his fourth week in hospital, those working in the Apostolic Palace are grappling with the continuing uncertainty over the pope’s health. The same is true for everyone in the Vatican.

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

Pope Francis has spent 18 full days at Rome's Gemelli hospital recovering from double pneumonia. It's by far the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy, and there is no indication how long it may still last.