Vatican makes new plans for Ash Wednesday as Pope Francis reaches 2-week mark at hospital

Pope Francis reached the two-week mark in his recovery from pneumonia Friday as doctors suggested he had overcome the most critical phase of the infection but held out on declaring him out of danger entirely.The Vatican, though, made alternative plans for Ash Wednesday next week, making clear Francis still had a long road ahead.Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, a Vatican official and former vicar of Rome, will preside over the March 5 ceremony and procession that inaugurates the church’s solemn Lenten season leading up to Easter in April.The Vatican’s early Friday update suggested a level of normalcy and routine as the 88-year-old pope continues recovering at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.“As in past days, the night was tranquil and the pope now is resting,” it said.Francis had breakfast, read the day’s newspapers and was receiving respiratory physiotherapy, the Vatican said.In their Thursday evening bulletin, doctors said Francis’ clinical condition had confirmed that he was improving.He was alternating the high-flow supplemental oxygen he had been receiving by a nasal tube with a mask in a sign of improved respiratory function.Additionally, he left his hospital room to go to his nearby private chapel to pray, while continuing with respiratory physiotherapy and work, the Vatican said.For the second day in a row, doctors avoided saying Francis was in critical condition, suggesting he had overcome the most acute phase of the infection.But given the complexity of his lung infection, they said “further days of clinical stability are needed” before they revise their prognosis officially and say he is out of danger.Francis has been at Gemelli Hospital since Feb.14 after his bronchitis worsened.He has shown steady, albeit slight, improvements since a respiratory crisis and kidney trouble over the weekend sparked fears for his life.The improvements beat back speculation of an imminent death or resignation and signaled that he was still very much in charge.In Mexico ...