Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni visited Pope Francis for 20 minutes in the hospital Wednesday and reported he was “alert and responsive” and full of good humor, despite his diagnosis of

Pope Francis is “alert and responsive” as he remains hospitalized with pneumonia, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said after visiting the pontiff.

While the Vatican has been providing twice-daily updates on his condition and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni said they “joked around as usual” during her visit Wednesday, all kinds of reports — true and not — abound about Francis' health.

The previous evening, doctors had said he remained in critical condition with double pneumonia but reported a “slight improvement” in some laboratory results. In the most upbeat bulletin in days, the Vatican said Francis had resumed work from his hospital room, calling a parish in Gaza City that he has kept in touch with since the war there began.

Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni visited Pope Francis in hospital yesterday and reported he was “alert and responsive”, despite his diagnosis of pneumonia and a complicated bronchial infection that has sidelined the 88-year-old pontiff for six days.

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni visited Pope Francis in the hospital, observing that he is alert and in good spirits despite battling pneumonia. Her visit highlighted the pope's enduring sense of humor,

ROME (AP) — Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni visited Pope Francis in hospital Wednesday and reported he was “alert and responsive” and full of good humor, despite his diagnosis of pneumonia ...