Pope Francis, right, hugs Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI prior to the start of a meeting with elderly faithful in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Sept. 28, 2014. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File)
ROME (AP) — As he recovers from pneumonia in the hospital, Pope Francis has increasingly handed off his day-to-day responsibilities to cardinals as questions swirl about the near and long-term future of his papacy.