Pope spends restful first night of Lent after his homily read out at Ash Wednesday Mass

The Vatican issued a statement this morning stating that “the night passed quietly” with Pope Francis “still resting” in hospital. Francis, 88, has been at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital since Feb. 14, after he experienced a prolonged respiratory crisis. On 3 March, the Pope suffered two incidents of “acute” respiratory difficulty that required him to be