A chest X-ray has confirmed that Pope Francis’s condition is improving as he continues his recovery from double pneumonia.
The latest medical bulletin, released by the Vatican, showed he continues to recover, two days after doctors announced he was no longer in imminent danger.
While the 88-year-old pontiff's condition remains stable, the Vatican acknowledged the complexity of his situation given his overall fragility.
Francis continues to receive high flows of oxygen through nasal tubes during the day and uses a non-invasive mechanical mask to assist his breathing at night. He is also undergoing physical and respiratory therapy.
Despite his illness, the Pope has been following the Vatican's spiritual retreat remotely and had a quiet night, the bulletin said.
His weekly Wednesday general audience was cancelled as the Vatican hierarchy is currently on retreat as part of the Lenten spiritual exercises.
This week marks a significant milestone for Francis – the 12th anniversary of his election as the 266th pope on Thursday.
The Holy See has not yet announced how the anniversary, a public holiday in the Vatican, will be observed. No medical bulletin is expected to be released on that day.
The former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected on the fifth ballot of the 2013 conclave that was called after Pope Benedict XVI resigned.
While Francis has praised Benedict's humility in stepping down and said he might follow in his footsteps, more recently he has said the papacy is a job for life.
Another milestone comes Friday, when Francis marks four weeks of hospitalisation.
St. John Paul II has the record for a hospital stay, at 55 days in 1981 when he underwent a minor surgical operation and then was treated for a cytomegalovirus infection.
Francis is on track to equal the second-longest stay, 28 days, which John Paul recorded in 1994 when he had surgery to repair his right hip joint after he fractured his right femur in a fall, according to Gemelli hospital.
The Vatican has released no photos or video of Francis since he was admitted.
The pope recorded an audio message last week to thank people for their prayers, though the weakness and breathlessness of his voice made clear how frail he was.
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