Pope Francis is on his 29th straight day in the hospital, a day after he marked the 12th anniversary of when he was elected pope.

The leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics is recovering from double pneumonia at Rome’s Gemelli hospital.

With Pope Francis entering his fourth week in hospital, those working in the Apostolic Palace are grappling with the continuing uncertainty over the pope’s health. The same is true for everyone in the Vatican.

Four weeks after the Pope went into hospital there's a growing sense that the Papacy may have entered a new phase.

Pope Francis had another tranquil night at the hospital, the Vatican said in its brief morning statement, as he marks the 12th anniversary of his papacy. The pope has had increasingly positive medical updates four weeks into his hospitalization for double pneumonia.

It has been a month since Pope Francis was admitted to the Gemelli Polyclinic. Although his health has slightly improved, he still requires intensive treatment. It is not known when he will be discharged.