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Pope Francis, who has been in hospital for just over two weeks fighting double pneumonia, had a peaceful night and is resting, the Vatican said on Saturday.
After days of a cautious optimism, the 88-year-old pontiff suffered a setback on Friday, experiencing an “isolated breathing crisis” that required non-invasive, mechanical ventilation, the Vatican said.
The pope, it said, also had “an episode of vomiting with inhalation and a sudden worsening of the respiratory condition.” He needed aspiration to help remove the vomit from his airways, the Vatican added.
His doctors are expected to take 24-48 hours to evaluate how the episode will impact the state of his clinical condition.
The 88-year-old has been in Rome’s Gemelli hospital for two weeks after being admitted on 14 February with a severe respiratory infection that triggered other complications.
Friday’s news of the pope’s “isolated breathing crisis” followed three days of , with the Vatican saying previously that the Pope had been showing a “slight improvement” as he fights what has been termed a “complex” infection caused by two or more micro-organisms.
A Vatican official, who did not wish to be named because he was not authorised to discuss the Pope’s health, said the Pope’s breathing issue on Friday did not last a long time.
His doctors are expected to take 24-48 hours to evaluate how the episode will impact the state of his clinical condition, the official said.
The Vatican has not said how long the Pope will remain in hospital but it announced on Friday that Francis would not lead the annual Church service next week to open the Christian season of Lent.
Pope Francis has been in hospital since 14 February. Source: Getty / Lisa Maree Williams
The 5 March service, known as Ash Wednesday, starts the 40-day period leading up to Easter Sunday.
It will instead be entrusted to a senior Vatican official.
Francis, who has been pontiff since 2013 and is often described as working himself to exhaustion, has continued leading the Vatican from the hospital.
Francis has suffered several bouts of ill health over the past two years.
He is prone to lung infections because he developed pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed.
