VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis \u201crested well\u201d during his eighth night in hospital, where the 88-year-old is being treated for double pneumonia, the Vatican said Saturday.
\nFrancis was admitted to Rome\u2019s Gemelli hospital on February 14 with bronchitis, but it turned into pneumonia in both lungs, causing widespread alarm.
\nThe pontiff\u2019s doctors had told a press conference on Friday there was no imminent risk to his life but that he was \u201cnot out of danger.\u201d
\nThe Vatican\u2019s early morning update Saturday was shorter than usual, without mentioning that he had eaten, saying simply: \u201cPope Francis rested well.\u201d
\nThe Gemelli\u2019s Professor Sergio Alfieri told reporters Friday that the pontiff\u2019s condition has been slightly improving, allowing doctors to incrementally lower the amount of medication he is taking.
\n\u201cThe question is, is the pope out of danger? No, the pope is not out of danger,\u201d Alfieri said.
\n\u201cIf you then ask whether he is in danger of dying at this moment, the answer is still no,\u201d he added.
\nHis hospitalization has cast doubt over Francis\u2019s ability to continue as head of the world\u2019s almost 1.4 billion Catholics.
\nBut Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin dismissed this as \u201cuseless speculation\u201d in an interview published Saturday with Italy\u2019s Corriere della Sera daily.
\n\u201cNow we are thinking about the health of the Holy Father, his recovery, his return to the Vatican: these are the only things that matter,\u201d the cardinal said.
\nParolin said he personally had not yet been to see the pope, saying he was available but so far there was no need.
\n\u201cIt is better if he remains protected and has as few visitors as possible, to allow him to rest and make the treatment he is undergoing more effective,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis \u201crested well\u201d during his eighth night in hospital, where the 88-year-old is being treated for double pneumonia, the Vatican said Saturday. Francis was admitted to Rome\u2019s Gemelli hospital on February 14 with bronchitis, but it turned into pneumonia in both lungs, causing widespread alarm. The pontiff\u2019s doctors had told a press […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":463132,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-463123","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n