By Crispian Balmer
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Francis, who has been in hospital for just over two weeks fighting double pneumonia, had a peaceful night and was resting on Saturday after a health setback the day before, the Vatican said.
The 88-year-old pontiff experienced a breathing crisis on Friday, renewing concerns over his well-being.
A Vatican official, who did not wish to be named because he was not authorised to discuss the pope’s health, said Francis had not had another respiratory crisis since then.
In a one-line statement, the Vatican said the night had passed peacefully. The official said the pope had had breakfast, including a cup of coffee. The next detailed medical bulletin is expected at around 7 p.m. (1800 GMT).
On Friday, the Vatican said Francis had suffered an isolated crisis, including “vomiting with inhalation and a sudden worsening of the respiratory condition”.
He needed aspiration to help remove the vomit from his airways, the Vatican said, and also required non-invasive, mechanical ventilation – meaning that he was not intubated, which would have necessitated sedation.
The Vatican official said his team of doctors was expected to take 24-48 hours to evaluate how the episode would impact the state of his clinical condition.
Francis was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on February 14 with severe respiratory problems that swiftly degenerated into double pneumonia – a serious infection in both lungs that can inflame and scar them, making it difficult to breathe.
He last suffered what the Vatican described as a “prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis” on February 22, but there had not been any repeat crises until Friday.
Francis has suffered 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.
The pope has not been seen in public since entering hospital, his longest absence from view since his papacy started in March, 2013. His doctors have not said how long his treatment might last.
The Vatican official said that for a third week running, the pope was not expected to lead his usual Sunday prayers with pilgrims and that once again the text of the Angelus prayer would likely be published rather than read out.
(Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Valentina Za and Barbara Lewis)
