The Vatican, though, made alternative plans for Ash Wednesday next week, making clear Francis still had a long road ahead.

The setback comes on the eve of two full weeks of hospitalization and casts uncertainty on the pope's recovery.

Time-honored rituals, drafted and refined over centuries, allow time for mourning and provide order at a dramatic moment of ...

The Vatican press office has released a statement saying the pope had a peaceful evening of rest in hospital and is ...