In the photo, Pope Francis appears slightly slumped in his wheelchair, adorned in white robes and a purple stole before an altar at the Rome hospital where he has been a patient since Feb. 14. The shot is not head on — perhaps because it remains frowned upon in the Holy See to capture clear images of an ailing pope.

The Vatican on Sunday released the first image of Pope Francis in hospital since he began treatment for double pneumonia, in which the 88-year-old pontiff appears to be breathing unaided. The pope was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on February 14 with a severe respiratory infection that has required evolving treatment.