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Leaders across the world have sent messages of goodwill to Pope Francis this week, with the Pope, aged 88, currently being treated for double pneumonia in hospital. In a statement issued yesterday, the Holy See Press Office highlighted that the Holy Father's clinical condition “is showing slight improvement. He has no fever, and his hemodynamic parameters remain stable. This morning, he received the Eucharist and then dedicated himself to work activities.“

In a letter to Cardinal Vincent Nichols President of the Bishops’ Conference (CBCEW) on Tuesday, the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, expressed his prayers - and the prayers of many Anglicans - for the health of the Pope:

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"We are praying for a good and swift recovery, for his comfort and peace, and also for all those who tend to him and minister to him... we continue to pray that His Holiness might be nourished by the hope of the Gospel, and know the love and healing of Our Lord Jesus Christ in these days and the days ahead."

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The Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited the Pope on Wednesday afternoon, spending 20 minutes with the Pontiff. Speaking after the visit, Ms Meloni said:

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"I am very pleased to have found him alert and responsive. We joked as always – he has not lost his well-known sense of humour."

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The Holy See Press Office is issuing regular updates on the Vatican News website, here.

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