As Pope Francis has battled double pneumonia in hospital for nearly three weeks, talk of the 88-year-old pontiff's death or resignation has become almost commonplace. Some newspapers have published articles informing their readers about what to expect during the papal funeral.

This was the pope's "third serious downturn" since he was admitted to Gemelli Polyclinic hospital with a complex respiratory infection on Feb. 14, the BBC said. The Vatican said laboratory tests suggested the mucus was a response to Francis' original pneumonia, not a new infection.

The frail 88-year-old Catholic leader suffered further setbacks in what has become a more than two-week battle to overcome a complex respiratory infection.