VATICAN CITY, March 5 – Pope Francis, who has been struggling to overcome double pneumonia for almost three weeks, was taken off mechanical ventilation on Wednesday after using it through the night to help with his breathing, the Vatican said.
The 88-year-old pope was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on February 14 with a severe respiratory infection that has required continuously evolving treatment.
The Vatican said Francis was reconnected to non-invasive mechanical ventilation overnight after it was removed during the day on Tuesday, underscoring his continued difficulty in shaking off the dangerous illness.
The pope has since returned to receiving a high-flow of oxygen via a small nasal hose under his nose, the Vatican said.
“The pope rested well during the night,” the Vatican said in a brief statement, adding that he had woken up shortly after 8:00 a.m. (0700 GMT).
The pontiff normally starts his day well before dawn when he is healthy.
Francis suffered what the Vatican described as two episodes of “acute respiratory insufficiency” on Monday. Tuesday’s health bulletin was more upbeat, saying the pope was stable throughout the day and did not have any new breathing crises.
However, his doctors reiterated again that his prognosis was “guarded,” meaning he was not yet out of danger.
The latest health bulletin is expected at around 7:00 p.m. (1800 GMT).
‘Worried about him’
“I think it’s serious, very serious. Of course, we are all very worried about him,” Liana Cardozo, a tourist from Brazil, said at St. Peter’s Square.
The pope has not been seen in public since entering hospital, his longest such absence since his papacy started 12 years ago. His doctors have not said how long the treatment might last.
Francis’ prolonged absence has stoked speculation, even from senior cardinals, that he could follow in the footsteps of his predecessor Benedict XVI and resign.
But biographers and friends of the pontiff described him as a “fighter,” with no plans to resign.
His illness has meant that the pope has already missed a number of Church events, including a March 5 service known as Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of a 40-day period leading to Easter Sunday and which he normally presides over.
Francis has experienced several bouts of ill health over the last two years and is prone to lung infections because he had pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed.
