Over 12 years, Francis has sought to normalize the papacy with his informal style and disdain for pomp while still wielding the awesome power of the papacy. The way Francis has managed his lengthy hospitalization for pneumonia has followed that same playbook: Francis has allowed the public to follow the very normal ups and downs of an 88-year-old man battling a complex lung infection through spare but regular medical bulletins. But he has also continued to run the 1.3-billion strong Catholic Church remotely. Here is a look at how Francis is wielding papal power, even from the hospital, and how that may change perceptions of the papacy.
