Pope Francis rested well overnight, the Vatican said on Tuesday, after the 88-year-old pontiff suffered a setback a day earlier as he battles double pneumonia in hospital. Francis, who has been in Rome's Gemelli Hospital since February 14,
Pope Francis remained in stable condition Tuesday night, relying only on supplemental oxygen during the day after experiencing respiratory crises the day before, the Vatican reported. However, doctors will resume using a ventilation mask for him at night.
The expatriate community is small but shares a special bond with Francis, who has been in the hospital since Feb. 14.
Time-honored rituals, drafted and refined over centuries, allow time for mourning and provide order at a dramatic moment of transition.