Pope Francis health update as pontiff remains in hospital

The leader of the Catholic church was admitted on Friday.

The Pontiff was rushed to Rome’s Gemelli Polyclinic on Friday morning, shortly after finishing his morning audiences.

Earlier this month, he was diagnosed with bronchitis after undergoing tests.

A statement from the Vatican, published on Friday, read: “This morning, after his audiences, Pope Francis will be admitted to the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic for necessary diagnostic tests and to continue hospital treatment for his ongoing bronchitis.”

In another statement issued this morning, the Vatican confirmed the Pope's absence from Sunday prayer and reiterated that Francis would remain under medical care for as long as necessary for his treatment to prove successful.

They added that the decision to rest had been made by his medical team "to facilitate his recovery".

The pope's treatment on Saturday was "slightly modified based on further microbiological findings", the statement added. "Today's laboratory tests showed an improvement in some values."

Despite this apparent improvement in the Pontiff's health, no firm release date has been mentioned.

"We will see how he reacts to treatment. I don't have a precise date (for his release)", said Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican's press office.

A later updated provided by the Vatican added that Francis "did not show any fever' today and that he had received Communion before alternating his rest between prayer and reading". 

Pope Francis suffered two falls last year, hurting his arm and chin.

He also recently began using a walker or cane when moving around his apartment, and is sometimes pushed in a wheelchair in public.