Pope's condition 'slightly improving' on seventh day in hospital

A candle with a portrait of Pope Francis is set at the feet of a statue of John Paul II outside the Gemelli hospital where Pope Francis is hospitalized in Rome, on February 20, 2025. [AFP]

The Vatican reported another slight improvement in Pope Francis's condition on Thursday, as the 88-year-old spent his seventh day in hospital being treated for double pneumonia.

The Argentine pontiff was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital last Friday with bronchitis, but it later developed into pneumonia in both lungs, sparking widespread alarm.