Critically-ill Pope 'Not In Pain': Vatican Source

Pope Francis, hospitalised in critical condition with pneumonia in both lungs, was conscious and 'not in pain' on Monday, the Vatican and a source confirmed, amid global concern over the pontiff's health.

The 88-year-old head of the Catholic Church was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on 14 February with breathing difficulties, and his condition has since worsened. However, the Vatican's morning bulletin stated: 'The night passed well, the pope slept and is resting.'

Francis 'woke up and is continuing his treatment,' a Vatican source said.

He 'can get out of bed', 'is not in pain', is eating 'normally' and was even 'in a good mood', the source added.

The longest hospitalisation of Francis's near 12-year papacy has led to an outpouring of support, with prayers said worldwide and tributes left outside the hospital.

His initial bronchitis developed into double pneumonia, and on Saturday, the Vatican warned for the first time that the pope's condition was critical.

On Sunday, it stated that Francis continues to receive 'high-flow' oxygen through a nasal cannula, and blood tests demonstrated an 'initial, mild renal failure, currently under control'.

Francis is alert, but 'the complexity of the clinical picture, and the need to wait for the pharmacological treatments to have some effect, mean that the prognosis remains reserved,' the Vatican concluded.

Cardinals in Rome and members of the public were expected to gather for a prayer for the pope in St Peter's Square on Monday evening, led by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state.

Gemelli's chaplain, Nunzio Corrao, led a special prayer on Monday, saying it was time to 'hope against hope' for Francis's recovery.

Well-wishers left candles outside the hospital, where Francis remains in a 10th-floor papal suite.

Abele Donati, head of the anaesthesia and intensive care unit at the Marche University Hospital, told Corriere della Sera that renal failure 'could signal the presence of sepsis in the early stages'.

'It is the body's response to an ongoing infection, in this case of the two lungs,' he explained.

Professor Sergio Alfieri, who leads the Gemelli medical team, warned on Friday that 'the real risk in these cases is that the germs pass into the blood', which could result in sepsis, a life-threatening condition.

Francis's hospitalisation has sparked fears over his recovery.

'At this moment in history, one feels the need for his figure,' Jesuit theologian Antonio Spadaro, who is close to Francis, told La Repubblica.

There were 'many people around the world, including those in positions of responsibility, who are genuinely concerned because they know that Francis is one of the few who is able to connect the dots in a world that seems to be split,' he said.

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg noted that Catholics and non-Catholics alike admire Francis because 'he welcomes everyone, without distinction, with an open heart'.

'He has returned the Church to its most authentic nature... A close Church which consoles, listens and accompanies,' he added.

The pope's condition has fuelled speculation over whether he might resign.

Francis, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, has always been open to following his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who in 2013 became the first pope since the Middle Ages to step down due to his physical and mental health.

However, Francis has repeatedly stated that now is not the time.

Theologian Spadaro agreed that resignation should not be discussed at this moment.

'The pope is vigilant, he is exercising his pastoral duty even from his hospital bed, and—although in a different, less visible manner—he manifests his presence,' he said.

German Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller told Corriere della Sera: 'The pope is alive, and this is the moment to pray, not think about his successor.'

But he added: 'We all must die. There is no eternal earthly life. The pope has a special task, but he is a man like all men.'