Pope Francis, who is being treated for a respiratory tract infection, spent a peaceful night at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, Italian media reported yesterday.
Pope Francis (88) did not appear in public yesterday to lead his usual weekly prayer with pilgrims, as he had been advised to rest.
The Pope has been suffering from bronchitis for more than a week and was admitted to the hospital on Friday morning.
Francis briefly watched some of the main news on television on Saturday evening before having a peaceful night.
A Vatican statement issued late Saturday said the Pope had been “prescribed full rest” to aid his recovery.
The Pope’s treatment on Saturday was “slightly modified based on new microbiological findings,” the statement said.
“Today’s laboratory tests showed an improvement in some values,” it added.
The Vatican stated that the Pope would remain in the hospital for as long as necessary for his treatment.
Francis, who has been Pope since 2013, has had the flu and other health issues several times over the past two years.