Pope Francis is improving slowly as he battles double pneumonia in hospital and is reducing the use of mechanical ventilation at night to help with breathing, the Vatican said on Saturday. "The clinical conditions of the Holy Father have remained stable,

Pope Francis entered the fifth week of hospital treatment for double pneumonia Saturday very much looking ahead as he worked on a signature priority of his papacy and signs of his recovery remained on a positive trajectory.

Pope Francis is improving but still requires various in-hospital therapies, the Vatican said Saturday, even as it revealed the 88-year-old pontiff had laid plans to extend his years-long Synod process into 2028.