Pope Francis' condition remains stable on 29th day in hospital, Vatican says

LONDON and ROME -- Pope Francis' condition remains stable, the Vatican said Friday, as he marked his 29th straight day in the hospital.

"Recovery is slow and it takes time," the Vatican press office said.

"The Pope continued praying during the day as well as therapy -- both breathing and physical movement," it added.

The Vatican noted it too early to talk about the pope's release from Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he was admitted on Feb. 14 and diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia.

Pope Francis marked the 12th anniversary of when he was elected pope on Thursday from the hospital.

His medical staff celebrated the anniversary with a cake and candles while the pope continued his respiratory therapy Thursday afternoon and followed the evenings Lenten spiritual exercises, the Vatican said.

Pope Francis' condition remained "stationary" on Wednesday with no further updates from the Vatican given on Thursday as tests confirmed his improvement, according to the Vatican.

A chest X-ray performed on Tuesday confirmed improvements recorded over the past few days, the Holy See, the Vatican's press office, said in its Wednesday evening update.

The pope continues to undergo high-flow oxygen therapy during the day and "noninvasive mechanical ventilation during his night rest," the Vatican said.

The 88-year-old pontiff will continue "for additional days, the pharmacological medical therapy in a hospital environment" due to the "complexity of the clinical picture and the significant infectious picture presented at hospitalization," the Vatican said.

Francis' doctors said there are positive signs of the pontiff's recovery, but caution remains, according to Vatican sources.