March 13 (UPI) -- Pope Francis marked the 12th year of his pontificate Thursday while still recovering from lung infection. The anniversary is a public holiday at the Vatican but no events were planned to celebrate the occasion. Francis' condition was described as "stationary" Wednesday as the Vatican said he had been improving.

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis is participating in the Vatican’s weeklong spiritual retreat from a Rome hospital as he continued his recovery on Monday from double pneumonia and looks ahead to the 12th anniversary of his election amid questions about what the future of his papacy might look like.