Pope Francis’ overall clinical condition is “improving slightly” and his heart is working well as he battles pneumonia, the Vatican said Thursday, as some of his cardinals cheered him on and insisted that the Catholic Church was very much alive and well even in his absence.

Pope Francis, who is in hospital with pneumonia in both lungs, had a "restful night" and got out of bed to eat breakfast in the morning, the Vatican has said. He was hospitalized on Friday, and on Monday, doctors identified a polymicrobial respiratory tract infection that then developed into pneumonia.