Pope Francis ‘slept well’ amid signs of slight improvement in health battle

Pope Francis “slept well” overnight and was resting on Thursday morning after showing signs of slight improvement in his condition as he continued to receive hospital care for double pneumonia, the Vatican said.

“The pope in the night slept well and is now resting,” the Holy See said in a statement Thursday morning.

The Vatican did not expand further on the 88-year-old pontiff’s condition, providing a short early morning update with more information expected to follow later in the day.

Hundreds of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday night to pray for the pope, as they have done in nightly masses held since Monday evening.

Fears grew for the pontiff after he was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14 and was later diagnosed with “double pneumonia,” or pneumonia in both lungs. But a “slight improvement” in the pontiff’s condition earlier this week brought some relief, despite Francis remaining in critical condition.

The Vatican said in a statement on Wednesday that Francis’ condition had shown “further slight improvement” over a 24-hour period and had dedicated his afternoon to work activities.

It noted that a “mild renal insufficiency” noted in recent days had receded. Meanwhile, a chest CT scan performed on Tuesday night appeared to reflect “normal” trends for a person receiving care for pneumonia.

The Holy See noted that Francis did not suffer from any asthmatic respiratory crises on Wednesday, but said he continued to receive high-flow oxygen therapy.

Despite the slight improvement in his condition, the Vatican said the pope’s prognosis remained “reserved.”

It was unclear as of Thursday morning whether the pontiff remained in critical condition.