Pope Francis has marked the anniversary of his election as the head of the Catholic Church in hospital, a statement from the Vatican said on Thursday morning.

Thursday marks 12 years since Francis was elected as the successor to the German pope Benedict XVI, born Joseph Ratzinger.

The pope started his day after a quiet night in the hospital, the Vatican said.

Following the unexpected resignation of Benedict XVI in 2013, then-Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the new pope on March 13, 2013.

He is the fifth ballot of the conclave, of the secret gathering of cardinals that chooses the pontiff.

The anniversary of the election is a public holiday in the Vatican, but there are no special events planned.

The 88-year-old Francis has been undergoing treatment for the past month at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome.

He Is suffering from double pneumonia.

Francis is on the path to slight improvement, though this is progressing slowly, the attending doctors have said.

It remains unclear how much longer he will need to stay in the hospital. (dpa/NAN)

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