Pope spends 12th anniversary as head of Catholic church in hospital recovering

ROME -- Pope Francis has begun his 28th consecutive day in hospital on the 12th anniversary of when he was elected pope in 2013 following five ballots in a papal conclave.

While no events are planned to mark the pontiffs 12 years as head of the Catholic church, it is a public holiday in the Vatican, as it is each year, to mark the anniversary.

Pope Francis' condition remained "stationary" on Wednesday, with tests confirming his improvement, according to the Vatican.

A chest X-ray performed on Tuesday confirmed improvements recorded over the past few days, the Holy See, the Vatican's press office, said in its Wednesday evening update.

The pope continues to undergo high-flow oxygen therapy during the day and "noninvasive mechanical ventilation during his night rest," the Vatican said.

Pope Francis' prognosis was "lifted" on Monday, meaning he is no longer in imminent danger, but the clinical picture remains complex.

The 88-year-old pontiff will continue "for additional days, the pharmacological medical therapy in a hospital environment" due to the "complexity of the clinical picture and the significant infectious picture presented at hospitalization," the Vatican said.

Francis' doctors said there are positive signs of the pontiff's recovery, but caution remains, according to Vatican sources, after he was admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14 and was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia.