Pope Francis no longer needs mechanical help to breathe as his health improves, Vatican says

Pope Francis’ condition continued to improve and he hasn’t needed to use the mechanical ventilation mask to help him breathe, the Vatican said Wednesday in signaling further progress in his recovery from double pneumonia.

The 88-year-old pontiff is also reducing his reliance on high-flow supplemental oxygen during the day, the Vatican said in a medical bulletin.

His pneumonia infection, while not completely eliminated, is under control, the Holy See press office said.

Francis concelebrated Mass on Wednesday, which is an important feast day for the Catholic Church and is the anniversary of his installation as pope 12 years ago.

Francis has been at Rome’s Gemelli hospital since Feb. 14 for a complex lung infection that turned into pneumonia in both lungs. He has been receiving respiratory and physical therapy to help strengthen his lungs.

For two nights in a row, he hasn’t needed to use the noninvasive mechanical ventilation mask, which pumps oxygen into his lungs, and doctors said its use had been “suspended.” Francis was put on the ventilation mask after he suffered a spate of respiratory crises in late February and early March during which he was unable to expel the mucus and fluid that had accumulated in his lungs.