Pope Francis is starting his 29th straight day in the hospital, a day after he marked the 12th anniversary of his elected pope following five ballots in a papal conclave.

Pope Francis marked the 12th anniversary of his papacy Thursday with increasingly positive medical updates four weeks into his hospitalization for double pneumonia

Pope Francis, battling double pneumonia in hospital for almost a month, remains stable and a recent X-ray confirmed improvements in his condition that had been seen in previous days, the Vatican said on Wednesday.