For much of the church’s history, the pope’s body was closely associated with the sanctity of his office, as the papal historian Agostino Paravicini Bagliani described in detail in his 1994 book “The Pope’s Body.” Sanctity is often bound up with mystery, and so the head of the church’s health was shrouded in secrecy until the past century.

Pope Francis had another quiet night in hospital, the Vatican said in its Friday morning update, as his recovery from bilateral pneumonia continues. The 88-year-old has now spent four weeks in hospital,

Pope Francis remains stable in hospital and a recent chest scan confirmed improvements in his condition, the Vatican said on Wednesday, in a further sign of progress as the 88-year-old pontiff battles double pneumonia.