Pope Francis, in hospital with pneumonia, is not out of danger and will have to stay at least another week, his doctors said Friday amid questions over the 88-year-old's future as head of the Catholic Church.

Francis, who was admitted last Friday with breathing difficulties, has been slightly improving, allowing doctors to incrementally lower the amount of medication he is taking, Professor Sergio Alfieri said.

"The question is, is the pope out of danger? No, the pope is not out of danger," Alfieri told a press conference at Rome's Gemelli hospital.

"If you then ask whether he is in danger of dying at this moment, the answer is still no," he added.

What began as bronchitis developed into double pneumonia, causing widespread alarm, and fuelling speculation over Francis's ability to continue as head of the world's almost 1.4 billion Catholics.

Doctor Luigi Carbone said the pope, who had part of one of his lungs removed as a young man, now has a chronic lung condition and "is by definition a fragile patient".

Francis, who is........

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