pPope improving in hospital, analyst says resignation unlikely.ppThe pope was able to move around his hospital room, was taking some phone calls, and was continuing to do some paperwork, the official said.ppOne retired Catholic cardinal suggested on Thursday (February 20) that Francis' fragile health could lead the pope to resign as leader of the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church, as his late predecessor Pope Benedict XVI did.ppBut Francis has firmly ruled out resigning in the past, calling it in 2024 only a "distant hypothesis." Church law also requires that any papal resignation be "freely and properly manifested," meaning a pope's decision to step down cannot be influenced in any way by outside pressure.