A group of nuns, priests and students from a Catholic university gathered outside the Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Monday to pray for Pope Francis who is battling pneumonia. (AP Video: Florent Bajrami)

The 88-year-old Pope Francis, who has been hospitalized at Rome's Gemelli hospital since Feb. 14 and has been diagnosed with double pneumonia, "continues to be alert and well oriented," it said.

As Pope Francis continued his treatment at Rome’s Gemelli hospital Sunday, he expressed gratitude to medical staff while marking the approaching third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in a prepared Angelus message.