Pope Francis, hospitalized in critical condition with double pneumonia, was well enough to meet with the Vatican secretary of state to approve new decrees for saints and call a formal meeting to set the dates for their canonization,

Pope Francis, battling double pneumonia, remains in critical condition for the fourth day running but is stable and has not had any further respiratory crises, the Vatican said on Tuesday.

The Vatican on Monday announced the start of nighttime prayers for the health of Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square, and invited Romans and others to join in, as the 88-year-old pontiff battled a complex lung infection and complications.