The Holy See Press Office said that Pope Francis had a "restful" night, with his condition showing mild improvement.
The 88-year-old pontiff has been hospitalized since Feb. 14 after a bout of bronchitis worsened and turned into a complex pneumonia in both lungs.
In his absence, the Vatican’s day-to-day operations continued alongside celebrations of its Holy Year, the once-every-quarter-century Jubilee that brings millions of pilgrims to Rome. On Sunday, Canadian Cardinal Michael Czerny, who is close to Francis, celebrates the Holy Year Mass for volunteers that Francis was supposed to have celebrated.
Pope Francis, who has been struggling to overcome double pneumonia for almost three weeks, was taken off mechanical ventilation on Wednesday after using it through the night to help with his
Pope Francis passed a quiet night in hospital, the Vatican said Sunday, after revealing that the 88-year-old was responding well to treatment for pneumonia.
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis was resting Wednesday, the start of the solemn Lenten period leading up to Holy Week observances, after sleeping through the night with a ventilation mask as he undergoes hospital treatment for double pneumonia.