Pope Francis' health shows 'slight improvement', Vatican says

On Sunday, the Pope's condition was said to be critical with respiratory and kidney problems, News.Az reports, citing BBC.

But the Vatican has now said that a "slight" kidney problem was not a cause for concern, more than a week after he was admitted to hospital.

"Even today there were no episodes of asthmatic respiratory attacks; some laboratory tests have improved," said the Vatican in an evening bulletin on the 88-year-old's health.

The pontiff resumed some work on Monday and called the Priest of the Parish of Gaza "to express his fatherly closeness", the Vatican added.

The Pope is having oxygen therapy but doctors "are prudently not yet disclosing the prognosis", a statement said.

On Saturday, the Vatican said that the Pope had experienced a respiratory crisis and was in a "critical" condition, but later on Sunday released an update that he had "not presented any further respiratory crises". 

Earlier on Sunday, the Pope issued a statement asking Catholics to pray for him after he was unable to deliver the traditional Angelus prayer in person for the second week running. 

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church has been admitted to hospital multiple times during his 12-year tenure, including being treated for bronchitis at the same hospital in March 2023.

From Argentina, Pope Francis is the first Latin American, and first Jesuit, to lead the Roman Catholic Church.