Pope Francis is showing a "good response" to his treatment in hospital for double pneumonia and is making a gradual improvement in his overall condition, the Vatican has said.
"The Holy Father's clinical condition in recent days has remained stable and, consequently, testifies to a good response to treatment.
"There is therefore a gradual, slight improvement", it said in a bulletin.
"The Holy Father has always remained without fever.
"Gas exchange has improved; haematochemical and haemocytocritometric examinations are stable.
"The doctors, in order to record these initial improvements in the coming days, cautiously continue to maintain a reserved prognosis."
It said that after receiving the Eucharist this morning, the "Holy Father prayed in the chapel of his private apartment, while in the afternoon he alternated rest and work activities".
Earlier, the Vatican said the Pope was doing physiotherapy after spending a quiet night in hospital.
Francis "is going on with treatment and physiotherapy this morning", the Vatican said, having earlier issued a briefing which simply said his night had been "calm".
The pontiff, who had part of one of his lungs removed as a young man, has been in a special papal suite at Rome's Gemelli hospital since 14 February.
The Argentine has suffered several respiratory crises since his admission, most recently on Monday, but for several days now the Vatican has described his condition as "stable".
He is still in a "complex clinical condition" so "the prognosis remains guarded", it said yesterday.
On Thursday Francis released an audio message - the first time the world had heard his voice since he went into hospital - in which he thanked those praying for his recovery.
The pontiff sounded weak and breathless despite marking three weeks of treatment at the Gemelli.
"I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health from the Square.
"I accompany you from here," said Francis, taking laboured breaths every couple of words.
Resting, praying
The Pope mostly rested and prayed yesterday, including spending around 20 minutes in the little chapel inside the hospital's papal suite, the Vatican said.
He continues to switch between an oxygen mask at night and a cannula - a plastic tube tucking into the nostrils - delivering high-flow oxygen during the day.
He has been doing bits of work when possible.
On Saturday, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin read aloud a message on the Pope's behalf during a mass in St Peter's Basilica.
The Pope had worked on the message from hospital just a few days ago, on 5 March, the Vatican said.
In a bid for greater transparency, the Vatican has been publishing an update on how the Pope slept every morning, followed by a more detailed medical bulletin each evening.
On Thursday, it said that "in view of the stability of the clinical picture", there would be no medical bulletin on Friday evening. The next is due later.
During previous hospitalisations, the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics appeared on the Gemelli balcony for his weekly Sunday Angelus prayer.
But he has missed the last three.
The Vatican press office has said that it was "quite probable" the Angelus would be delivered tomorrow "in the same way" as in previous weeks.
The Pope has suffered a series of health issues in recent years, from colon surgery in 2021 to a hernia operation in 2023, but this is the longest and most serious hospitalisation of his papacy.
