Pope stable and resting in hospital as he again skips Sunday noon blessing

The Pope’s time in hospital comes as the Vatican is marking its Holy Year (Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP)

Pope Francis is in a stable condition and resting as he continues his recovery from double pneumonia, but he has again skipped his weekly noon blessing on Sunday to avoid even a brief public appearance.

For the third weekend in a row, Francis cancelled the appointment delivering the Angelus prayer. He could have delivered it from his 10th floor hospital suite at the Gemelli hospital if he was well enough.