Pope Francis thanks well-wishers and prays ‘above all for peace’ amid pneumonia battle - Pope Francis, 88, is said to be in a stable condition amid battle with double pneumonia

The election of a new pope is a complex process involving hundreds of cardinals that can stretch up to weeks on end. But the general public seems to have found its own way to show support for their pontiffs of choice.

As Pope Francis has battled double pneumonia in hospital for nearly three weeks, talk of the 88-year-old pontiff's death or resignation has become almost commonplace. Some newspapers have published articles informing their readers about what to expect during the papal funeral.

Pope Francis is alert after suffering two episodes of "acute respiratory failure" on Monday afternoon, the Vatican has said. Doctors were forced to intervene to clear mucus from the Pope's lungs, an update from the Holy See said,

Pope Francis suffered two episodes of "acute respiratory failure" on Monday, the Vatican said. The episodes were caused by a "significant accumulation of endobronchial mucus and consequent bronchospasm,

The frail 88-year-old Catholic leader suffered further setbacks in what has become a more than two-week battle to overcome a complex respiratory infection.