Cindy Wooden

As he continues to receive treatment in Rome’s Gemelli hospital, Pope Francis sent written thanks for people’s prayers, but he did not go to his hospital window as some people had hoped.

Pope Francis’ clinical condition continued to improve Feb. 27, the Vatican said, and he had respiratory physiotherapy in the morning and the afternoon.

In a sign affirming that Pope Francis has been able to conduct work while in the hospital, the Vatican said the pope had met with the top officials of the Vatican Secretariat of State and had signed several decrees in sainthood causes.

While Italy’s main news agency reported that Pope Francis’ respiratory “crisis” had subsided, a Vatican source said he was still receiving supplemental oxygen by nasal cannula early Feb. 23.

Pope Francis experienced “an asthmatic respiratory crisis of prolonged magnitude, which also required the use of oxygen at high flows” Feb. 22, said the daily medical bulletin released by the Vatican.

On his sixth full day in Rome’s Gemelli hospital, “the Holy Father’s clinical condition is improving slightly,” the Vatican said.

The morning after the Vatican confirmed Pope Francis has double pneumonia, the director of the Vatican press office said the pope had a restful night at Rome’s Gemelli hospital.