A statue of late Pope John Paul II stands outside the Gemelli Hospital where Pope Francis is receiving medical treatment Outside the Gemelli Hospital in Rome stands a large statue of one of its most famous patients,

Pigeons on a statue of Pope John Paul II outside the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, in Rome, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025 where Pope Francis has been hospitalized since Friday, Feb. 14.

Faithful make the sign of the cross during a rosary vigil prayer for Pope John Paul II's health in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Friday, April 1,

Photographer's shadows are cast on a marble statue of late Pope John Paul II outside the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome where Pope Francis is being treated for pneumonia, Thursday,

A view shows the statue of late Pope John Paul II outside the Gemelli Hospital where Pope Francis is admitted to continue treatment for his ongoing respiratory tract infection, in Rome, Italy, February 19,

Time-honored rituals, drafted and refined over centuries, allow time for mourning and provide order at a dramatic moment of transition.

The 88-year-old pope who has been hospitalized in Rome since February 14, did not have any further respiratory crises overnight but it would take a couple of days to make the latest assessment of his health, according to Vatican News. Newsweek has contacted the Vatican for comment.

The Vatican says Pope Francis has continued making decisions and is improving, but his two-week hospital stay poses uncomfortable, unanswered questions about Vatican decision-making.

Concerns over Pope Francis' health have mounted in recent years as have questions about his succession. Here's what we know.

The Vatican said doctors had to put him on noninvasive mechanical ventilation following a coughing fit in which he inhaled vomit that needed to then be extracted.

Catholics in Rome gathered to pray outside the hospital where Pope Francis is being treated and remains in a 'critical' condition.

(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) FILE-- The tapestries showing late Pope John Paul II, left, and Pope John XXIII hang from the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica as faithful and pilgrims crowd St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Friday, April 25, 2014.