Pope Francis is “alert and responsive” as he remains hospitalized with pneumonia, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said after visiting the pontiff.

While the Vatican has been providing twice-daily updates on his condition and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni said they “joked around as usual” during her visit Wednesday, all kinds of reports — true and not — abound about Francis' health.

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni visited Pope Francis for 20 minutes in the hospital Wednesday and reported he was “alert and responsive” and full of good humor, despite his diagnosis of

Pope Francis remains in “critical” but stable condition, Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni said on Tuesday, adding that the 88-year-old did not have any “acute respiratory episodes” and had a scheduled CT scan to monitor his pneumonia.

Pope Francis "joked around" with Giorgia Meloni after spending a "tranquil" fifth night in hospital, where he is undergoing treatment for pneumonia, Italy's prime minister has said.

As Pope Francis remains in critical condition fighting a complex respiratory infection and double pneumonia, world and interfaith leaders are offering well wishes and prayers for the recovery of the Argentine pontiff.