The pope has been hospitalized for two weeks and has shown slight improvement

Pope Francis "slept well" and "is now resting," the Vatican said Thursday, as the 88-year-old Argentine Jesuit marks 14 days in the hospital due to double pneumonia.

"The pope slept well during the night and is now resting," the Vatican said in a brief statement, hours after his last medical report announced a "slight improvement," although his prognosis remains "reserved." Additionally, the slight kidney failure detected in recent days has improved.

The spiritual leader of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide has been hospitalized at the Gemelli Clinic in Rome since February 14 due to bronchitis.

However, concerns were raised last weekend when his health worsened, and on Tuesday night, the Holy See reported that his condition was "critical but stable."

The kidney failure observed in recent days has subsided, and Pope Francis is showing "a normal evolution of the pulmonary inflammatory condition," the Vatican stated on Wednesday.

Since the beginning of the week, the pope has also resumed some of his work from the hospital, as people around the world pray for a speedy recovery.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva held a mass in the chapel of the Alvorada Palace on Wednesday, praying for the health of his "dear friend" Pope Francis.

The first Latin American pope was also the focus of prayers that same day from the faithful and cardinals gathered in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican for the third consecutive night.

This hospitalization, the fourth and longest since 2021, has raised significant concerns due to the pope's previous health issues and has renewed speculation about the possibility of his eventual resignation.