VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - While Pope Francis battles pneumonia in hospital, work at the Vatican, headquarters of the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church, continues apace.

The recent deterioration of his health has led to fears that the Pope may be in the final chapters of his life. He also reportedly told some close aides that he thinks he "might not make it this time".

The Vatican said Pope Francis has the "onset of bilateral pneumonia," and that tests, a chest X-ray and the pope's clinical condition present a "complex picture."