The seat remained unattended for 90 minutes. Who rules the Catholic world while Pope Leo is away?

Church historian Alberto Melloni told the New York Times that there is no "vice pope" position in the church administration, and that in cases where a decision or appointment is required, these documents can be taken directly to the approval of the pope in the hospital.

Vatican expert and former editor-in-chief of the official publication L'Osservatore Romano, Giovanni Maria Vian, stated that daily operations continue as normal, that no rules prevent officials from continuing their duties, and that the system works like an automatic machine.

Church law expert and commentator Priest Filippo Di Giacomo stated that the church structure and the clergy have been shaped over centuries and said, "This entire structure has been built in such a way that it will never collapse even if the church government has to slow down. The legal wisdom of the church is hidden in the 'deep mechanism' that keeps the Vatican alive. A crisis does not arise just because the Pope gets sick."

Recalling the period when Pope John Paul II struggled with Parkinson's and other health problems for more than a decade, Giovanni Maria Vian stated that Benedict XVI, who renounced his position in 2013, decided to resign because he did not want to experience a similar situation.