The 88-year-old pontiff has been hospitalized for six weeks with pneumonia in both lungs. He will need to rest in the Vatican for at least two months, his doctors said.

For several weeks, Pope Francis was in critical condition, as a result of the pneumonia. Doctors said he experienced an asthmatic respiratory crisis, mild kidney failure, and a bronchial spasm that caused him to inhale his vomit after a coughing fit.

The 88-year-old pontiff had been battling severe pneumonia.