Pope Francis remained in critical condition Monday but showed slight improvement in laboratory tests and resumed some work, the Vatican said, including calling a parish in Gaza City that he has kept in touch with since the war there began.

Time-honored rituals, drafted and refined over centuries, allow for ritual mourning and provide order at a dramatic moment of transition.

"With his health status in limbo, hospital staff in Rome are closely monitoring Pope Francis as he battles multiple health conditions, including pneumonia. FOX reporter Connor Hansen is live in Rome outside the medical center where the Pope is staying,