ROME and LONDON -- Pope Francis "rested well" overnight, his 17th night in Rome's Gemelli Hospital, the Vatican said on Monday. "The pope rested well all night," the Holy See, the Vatican's press office, said in a brief statement.

Pope Francis has been at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome for 18 days, having been admitted due to acute bronchitis that developed into bilateral pneumonia. Despite the challenging situation, there is a sense of calm and hope for the pope's recovery at the Vatican,

Pope Francis issued a new message from the hospital on Monday as Vatican officials begged him to let his voice be heard after disappearing from public view for over two weeks as he recovers from pneumonia.