Pope Francis, hospitalized in critical condition with double pneumonia, was well enough to meet with the Vatican secretary of state and his deputy to approve new decrees for saints and call a formal meeting to set the dates for their canonization,

THE Pope wrote his resignation letter 12 years ago in case he became too ill to fulfil the holy role as he remains in a ‘critical’ state in hospital. The Pontiff has spent 10 nights in

The Vatican reported a “slight improvement” in the Pope’s condition on Monday evening, though it continued to describe his situation as “critical”.