Pope Francis, battling double pneumonia, remains in a critical condition for a second day running and his prognosis is still guarded, the Vatican said on Sunday. The pope, 88, was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on February 14 after experiencing difficulty breathing for several days and subsequently had pneumonia diagnosed in both lungs.

Pope Francis remains in critical condition following a prolonged respiratory crisis and while his blood tests show slight improvement in his anemia, his platelet count remains low and he is now is being treated for a slight renal insufficiency.