Hospitalised Pope Francis no longer needs breathing ventilator, Vatican says

Pope Francis has been battling respiratory issues in a Rome hospital since mid-February. (Getty/ Riccardo De Luca/ Anadolu)

In short:

Pope Francis no longer needs the assistance of a breathing ventilator and remains in a stable condition in hospital, the Vatican says.

In a written note to wellwishers, the pontiff says he feels "all your affection and closeness", as he continues to battle respiratory issues.

What's next?

Doctors at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome say Pope Francis's medical condition remains complex and have kept his prognosis at guarded, meaning he isn't yet out of danger.

Pope Francis no longer needs the assistance of a breathing ventilator and remains in a stable condition in a Rome hospital, in a sign that his recovery from double pneumonia is improving, according to the Vatican. 

The 88-year-old pontiff did continue to receive high-flow supplemental oxygen on Sunday after experiencing a coughing episode on Friday, which sparked fears of a new lung infection. 

Doctors at the Gemelli Hospital said on Sunday that Francis remained stable but again referred to the complexity of his overall condition and kept his prognosis at guarded, meaning he was not out of danger.

Pope Francis drinks coffee, rests after breathing setback

Photo shows An elderly man in white clothing and a skull cap gestures as he speaks into a silver microphone.

In an update on Saturday, the Vatican says the 88-year-old pope didn't have any further respiratory crises overnight, following a coughing fit on Friday during which he inhaled vomit.

The pope has been in hospital since February 14 and on Sunday, rested, prayed in his private chapel and participated in mass after having a visit in the morning from the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and his chief of staff, Archbishop Edgar Pena Parra. 

The content of their talks remains unknown, but when at the Vatican Francis meets at least weekly with them.

The pontiff again skipped his weekly noon blessing to avoid even a brief public appearance from the hospital. Instead, the Vatican distributed a message written by the pope in which he thanked his doctors for their care and wellwishers for their prayers, and prayed again for peace in Ukraine and elsewhere.

"From here, war appears even more absurd," Francis said in the message, which he drafted in recent days. 

Wellwishers have been arriving outside the Gemelli Hospital for days, where members of the Vatican have also been visiting the pontiff. (AP:  Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Francis said he was living his hospitalisation as an experience of profound solidarity with people who are sick and suffering everywhere.

"I feel in my heart the 'blessing' that is hidden within frailty, because it is precisely in these moments that we learn even more to trust in the Lord," the pope said in the text. 

"At the same time, I thank God for giving me the opportunity to share in body and spirit the condition of so many sick and suffering people."

The pope, who is known to work himself to exhaustion, has continued leading the Vatican during his hospital stay and last met Cardinal Parolin and the deputy at the Gemelli on February 24.

Medical signs point to pope's recovery

Many signs have indicated the pope's condition was improving, especially after a respiratory crisis on Friday that resulted in him inhaling vomit during a coughing fit and raising the possibility of new infection. 

Doctors aspirated the vomit and put him on non-invasive mechanical ventilation, a mask that pumps oxygen into the lungs.

He used the ventilation on Saturday, alternating it with just supplemental oxygen, and by Sunday no longer needed it.

Doctors also reported he had no fever or raised white blood cell levels, which would have indicated his body was fighting a new infection. 

What we know about Pope Francis's 'complex' respiratory infection

Photo shows A close-up of an old man in glasses and a white hat speaks into a microphone and gestures.

Officials say the 88-year-old pontiff has a "polymicrobial respiratory tract infection," but little remains known about the severity of his illness.

The doctors had said they needed 24 to 48 hours after Friday's coughing episode to determine if there were any negative impacts on Francis's overall condition.

The pope, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, has lung disease and was admitted to hospital on February 14 after a bout of bronchitis turned into a complex pneumonia in both lungs.

Prayers continue to pour in for the pontiff

The pope's hospitalisation comes as the Vatican marks its Holy Year, drawing pilgrims to Rome from all over the world. 

Many have added a pilgrimage destination to their itineraries so they can pray for Francis at the Gemelli Hospital, which is about a 20-minute drive from the Vatican.

While the Vatican marks its Holy Year, pilgrims from around the world have travelled to Rome to pray for the pope during his recovery. (AP: Kirsty Wigglesworth)

The Reverend Riccardo Fumagalli had accompanied a group of young people from Milan to Rome for the Jubilee and would have attended Francis's Angelus prayer in St Peter's Square on Sunday if he had delivered it as usual. 

Instead, the group travelled to the hospital.

"It seemed good to us to come here to express our closeness, especially of these teenagers, to be close to the Holy Father to pray for him, to pray for this moment of illness," Reverend Fumagalli said.

Cancer patient Antonino Cacace also arrived at the hospital on Sunday from Milan for his own treatment, saying he has to undergo surgery in the coming days and was counting on Francis's prayers.

"I am glad the pope is giving me help," he said. 

"I am on the ninth [floor] and he is on the 10th [floor]. I hope to meet him and see him."

AP