Pope Francis \”rested well\” during his eighth night in hospital, the Vatican says. The 88-year-old is being treated for double pneumonia in Rome’s Gemelli hospital. Doctors had told a press conference on Friday there was no imminent risk to his life but that he was \”not out of danger\” Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin dismissed this as \”useless speculation\” in an interview published Saturday with Italy’s Corriere della Sera daily. He said he personally had not yet been to see the pope, saying he was available but so far there had been no need for him to do so. He will remain in hospital \”at least for all next week\”, the hospital’s Professor Sergio Alfieri told reporters Friday that the pontiff’s condition has been slightly improving, allowing doctors to incrementally lower the amount of medication he is taking. The pope had part of one of his lungs removed as a young man, now has a chronic lung condition and \”is by definition a fragile patient\”, Alfieri said.
