Pope Francis completes 12 years at the head of the Catholic Church today, apparently out of danger after a month in hospital, but with his health casting a shadow over his future.

The 88-year-old was seriously ill for a while as he battled pulmonary pneumonia in Rome's Gemelli hospital, where he was admitted on February 14.

The Argentinian's situation has improved considerably since then, with the Vatican confirming his condition as stable on Wednesday evening. Now the central theme revolves around his return home.

On the other hand, his hospitalization, the longest and most difficult of his papacy, has raised serious doubts about his ability to lead the world's almost 1.4 billion Catholics.

Experts say that his recovery could take weeks, given his age and his recurring health problems, which were not helped by the fact that he had part of a lung removed when he was young.

"The rest of his pontificate remains unknown at the moment, even for Francis himself," said Father Michel Kubler, a Vatican expert and former editor-in-chief of the French religious newspaper La Croix. (IOL)