Pope Francis continued his recovery from pneumonia Tuesday as the Vatican set in motion a nightly marathon of prayers from “his house” and allies cheered him on from afar in hopes that he might recover and get back to leading the Catholic Church.

On Monday night the Vatican's No. 2 led the faithful in a somber night-time recitation of the Rosary prayer in St. Peter's Square. The pope has been hospitalized since Feb. 14. Doctors say his condition is touch-and-go,

Even while Pope Francis is hospitalized, he still keeps in touch with a Roman Catholic parish in Gaza City, making near-nightly phone calls to the priest and congregation there.

Israeli forces are supposed to begin withdrawing from the Philadelphi Corridor, a sensitive border zone between Gaza and Egypt, this weekend.

( NewsNation) — Pope Francis remains in critical condition though showing “slight improvement” in some laboratory results, according to the Vatican. On Tuesday morning, The Holy Press See Office reported that Francis slept well overnight despite his serious condition.

The Vatican says Pope Francis remains in critical condition but has showed slight improvement in laboratory tests. He has resumed some work activities, including calling a parish in Gaza City that he has kept in touch with since the war there began.

The Vatican says the Pope's condition has improved as he spends an 11th day in hospital with double pneumonia.

Pope Francis, who has been hospitalized for more than a week, remains in “critical” condition and developed an “asthmatic respiratory crisis” earlier on Saturday, the Vatican said in a statement.

Pope Francis, who has been receiving treatment at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome for bronchitis, since Friday 14 February, had a "calm and restful" night, the Vatican has reported. The Pope's General Audience,

From his hospital bed, Pope Francis stays in touch with Catholic parishioners in Gaza ROME, Italy — Pope Francis ... blackout in the whole area of Gaza City, he insisted and managed to contact ...