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       VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis, who is in critical condition in hospital battling double pneumonia, is alert, rested well throughout the night and is continuing his treatment, the Vatican said on Tuesday.

       The 88-year-old pope is spending his 12th day at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, in the longest hospital stay of his nearly 12-year-old papacy. “The pope rested well all night,” the Vatican said in a one-sentence statement that did not provide further details.

       A Vatican official said Pope Francis was eating normally, moving about his hospital room, and continuing his treatment. On Monday, the Vatican said the pontiff’s condition remained critical but had shown a “slight improvement”, adding that a “mild kidney insufficiency”, first reported at the weekend, was not a cause for concern.

       Double pneumonia is a serious infection of both lungs that can inflame and scar them, making it difficult to breathe. The Vatican has described the pope’s infection as “complex”, and said it was caused by two or more microorganisms.

       Pope Francis, who has been pope since 2013, has suffered several bouts of ill health over the past two years. He is prone to lung infections because he developed pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed. Thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Monday to pray for the pope’s recovery.

       Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2025