Pope Francis improves slightly, resumes some work, Vatican says

Pope Francis is showing slight improvement in laboratory tests Monday and resumed some work activities, according to the Vatican.

The Associated Press reported that the Vatican announced the start of nighttime prayers for the pope's health in St. Peter's Square, and invited Romans and others to join in, as he battles a complex lung infection and complications. 

Pope Francis’ condition

Dig deeper:

Francis, who has double pneumonia and the early stages of kidney failure, was awake and in good spirits Monday. He was not in pain and was not receiving artificial nutrition, the AP reported, citing the Vatican.

Doctors reported Sunday that Francis remained in critical condition but that he didn't experience any further respiratory crises since Saturday. Blood tests showed "early, slight kidney insufficiency" that was under control.

RELATED: Pope Francis still in critical condition with early kidney failure

The main threat to Francis is sepsis, a serious infection of the blood that can happen as a complication of pneumonia. Doctors explained to the AP that his condition is "touch-and-go" given the pope’s age and pre-existing lung disease. 

Francis has been in the hospital for 10 days, which is his longest as pope. The AP noted that he spent10 days at Rome’s Gemelli hospital in 2021 after he had 13 inches of his colon removed.

What they're saying:

"The night passed well, the pope slept and is resting. The 88-year-old pope is continuing to feed himself and is not receiving artificial or liquid nutrition," the Vatican told the AP, adding that he was in good spirits.

Could Pope Francis resign?

Big picture view:

Pope Francis' condition has renewed speculation about what may happen if he becomes unconscious or otherwise incapacitated, and whether Francis might resign.

Where does Pope Francis stand on resigning?

What we don't know:

It’s unclear whether Pope Francis is considering stepping aside.

Francis has previously said he would consider retiring, after Benedict "opened the door" to the resignation of modern-day popes, but Francis has shown no signs of stepping down and has asserted recently that the job of pope is for life.

Is Pope Francis allowed to resign?

What we know:

Pope Francis can resign. In the Catholic Church, the official laws on all matters are classified in the Latin edition of the Code of Canon Law. The option of a pope to resign is explicitly written into the Canon Code of Law, per the Catholic News Service (CNS). 

The only conditions are that the decision be made freely and be publicly manifested. There is no specific person or body that must accept a pope’s resignation.