Pope Francis had a good night in hospital in Rome, the Vatican said on Thursday morning, where he is being treated for pneumonia. "The night passed quietly; the pope is still resting," the Holy See Press Office said in a statement.

Pope Francis, who has been struggling to overcome double pneumonia for almost three weeks, remained in stable condition throughout the day on Wednesday and has not had any new breathing crises, the Vatican said.

Time-honored rituals, drafted and refined over centuries, allow time for mourning and provide order at a dramatic moment of transition.