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

John Paul spent so much time on the 10th floor papal suite that he referred to Gemelli as “Vatican III” — a reference that beyond the primary seat of the papacy in Vatican City, the Polish pope also spent considerable time at the papal summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo, hence Vatican II.

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.