Pope Francis is showing improvement, is alert and doing some work, the Vatican said on Friday, as the 88-year-old pontiff began his eighth day in hospital battling pneumonia. Francis is being treated at Rome's Gemelli hospital,

Updates on Francis’ condition, which was said to be stable on Wednesday, have typically been spare, leaving plenty of room for suspicion and speculation.

Pope Francis spent his seventh night in hospital without any complications, the Vatican said on Friday, as the 88-year-old pontiff continues to receive treatment for pneumonia. "The night went well," said a Vatican spokesman,