ROME, March 11, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Pope Francis spent a quiet night in the hospital, the Vatican said Tuesday, a day after it indicated for the first time that the 88-year-old pontiff could soon be discharged after spending more than three weeks being treated for double pneumonia.

The night passed peacefully and the pope woke up at around 8:00 am (0700 GMT), it said in a statement.

The leader of the world's Catholics was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on February 14 with bronchitis, which became pneumonia in both lungs.

The Argentine suffered a series of breathing crises that sparked serious concern for his life, the most recent of them on March 3.

But after a week of steady improvements, on Monday evening, the Holy See said his prognosis was no longer considered "reserved", or uncertain.

"The clinical conditions of the Holy Father continue to be stable," it said in a statement.

"The improvements recorded in the previous days have been further consolidated, as confirmed by blood tests and clinical objectivity and the good response to pharmacological therapy."

It added that "given the complexity of the pope's clinical picture and the severe infection present at the time of hospitalisation, it will still be necessary to continue pharmacological treatment in a hospital setting for several more days".

This suggests that once this therapy is completed, he should return home.