Three weeks to the day after being admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital, Pope Francis is still struggling to shake off the double pneumonia that has battered his already fragile health.
The road to recovery is likely to be long and fraught with danger, said medical experts who are not involved in his care and were speaking in general terms about his condition.
"I've seen patients who have spent months in hospital in this sort of situation. Of course he can recover, but the chances for a negative outcome are high," said Professor Christoph Lange, Secretary General of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. "The best advice would be to let him rest, let him take whatever time he needs to get well again," he told Reuters.
Underscoring his diminished condition, the pope released a brief audio message on Thursday night giving thanks to all those praying for him. His voice was broken, breathless and hard to understand.