Is the pope out of danger? No. Both doors are open. Is he at risk of immediate death? No. The therapy needs time to work,” Sergio Alfieri, a surgeon who has operated on the pope in the past, said during a press conference on Friday.

Pope Francis began a second week in hospital on Saturday, alert but still "not out of danger", as top cardinals sought to dampen speculation about his future. The Vatican press office confirmed the Argentine pontiff would not deliver his usual weekly Angelus prayer on Sunday, saying the text would be published, as it was last weekend.