Pope Francis well enough to handle Vatican matters from hospital bed

Pope Francis carried on with his Vatican duties Tuesday from his hospital bed, despite his bout with pneumonia and kidney issues.
The 88-year-old met with senior Vatican colleagues and approved decrees for two new saints and five people for beatification — the first step toward possible sainthood. The pope also decided to “convene a consistory about the future canonisations”.
The Vatican’s Tuesday noon bulletin contained a series of significant decisions, most importantly that Pope Francis had met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra. The former is the Vatican’s secretary of state, while the latter is the “substitute” or chief of staff.
Father Antonio Pelayo, a Spanish priest and Vatican expert, told Euronews that the Vatican can keep functioning because the pontiff can rely on Parolin and Parra.
“However, the Vatican’s secretary of state cannot appoint a bishop, create a new diocese, or seal international agreements,” Pelayo said. “To be clear, a ‘deputy Pope’ does not exist.”
“It is a transitory situation, but that doesn’t mean the Church is left without leadership.”
Pelayo said that Pope Francis was likely to remain in hospital for a while, as doctors will not be inclined to discharge him “until they are sure he can lead a normal life.”
If he is discharged, the question remains whether Pope Francis will be able to fully perform his duties. In 2013, he wrote a resignation letter to be used in case his health prevented him from carrying out his work.