In it, the Pope thanked people for their prayers and thanked his medical team for their care.Catholics have already been visiting the Gemelli hospital in Rome to pray for him - hoping he might come to the window,

The Vatican said as of Tuesday morning, Francis no longer needed to wear the noninvasive mechanical ventilation mask that covers his nose and mouth to pump oxygen into his lungs and was just receiving supplemental oxygen through a nasal tube.

Pope Francis suffered two episodes of "acute respiratory insufficiency" on Monday as the 88-year-old pontiff continues to battle pneumonia, according to Vatican News, citing the Holy See Press Office.