Pope Francis is “in good humor” and “receives much affection” from people worldwide, the Vatican spokesman said on April 1.

Pope Francis shared that he is experiencing “healing,” specifically “in my soul and my body,” as he reaches the eighth day of the minimum two-month period of rest and convalescence prescribed by his doctors.

Pope Francis continues to be in stable condition and has registered improvements in both breathing and speech, the Vatican said on March 28.

In this episode, host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell discuss a revealing new interview that the pope’s doctor gave to an Italian newspaper.

As Pope Francis continues his convalescence, the Vatican published a full calendar of Holy Week and Easter liturgies with no indication of who would preside or be the main celebrant.

In an interview with an Italian newspaper, Pope Francis’ lead doctor described in some detail the two critical situations where the pope came close to death.