Pope Francis, who has been hospitalised for two weeks battling double pneumonia, has spent another peaceful night and is now resting, the Vatican said on Friday. Francis, 88, was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on February 14 with what was originally described as a bronchitis and was later revealed to have developed into something more serious.

The Vatican press office has released a statement saying the pope had a peaceful evening of rest in hospital and is continuing his recovery in the hospital on Friday.

Pope Francis had another good night of sleep at Rome's Gemelli hospital, the Vatican said on Friday. "As in recent days, the night passed calmly, and the pope is now resting," read a Holy See Press Office statement.

For centuries, one of the biggest taboos at the Vatican was openly discussing the pope's health. As leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, the pope is a revered spiritual figure. Talking about his earthly health was profane.