Pope Francis was in jovial mood when Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni popped in to visit him in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital where he is fighting off pneumonia in both lungs, the Corriere della Sera newspaper reported on Thursday.

While the Vatican has been providing twice-daily updates on his condition and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni said they “joked around as usual” during her visit Wednesday, all kinds of reports — true and not — abound about Francis' health.

Watch live from outside Rome's Gemelli Hospital where Pope Francis remains hospitalized. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni visited Pope Francis for 20 minutes on Wednesday and reported he was “alert and

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni has visited Pope Francis in the hospital and says he’s “alert and responsive” and full of good humor despite his pneumonia.

The 88-year-old pontiff, despite battling pneumonia and a severe bronchial infection, was alert and responsive, Meloni stated on Wednesday. View on euronews

Rome: Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni visited Pope Francis for 20 minutes in the hospital on Wednesday and reported he was "alert and responsive" and full of good humour, despite his diagnosis of pneumonia and a complicated bronchial infection that has sidelined the 88-year-old pontiff for six days.