Pope Francis health update: New breathing crises, returns to noninvasive ventilation, says Vatican

Pope Francis experienced two additional acute respiratory crises on Monday and had to be placed back on noninvasive mechanical ventilation, marking another setback in his fight against pneumonia, according to the Vatican.

Doctors removed large amounts of mucus from his lungs during two bronchoscopies, a procedure in which a camera-equipped tube is inserted into the airways to suction out fluid. The Vatican clarified that the mucus was a reaction to the initial pneumonia infection, not a sign of a new infection, as laboratory tests showed no evidence of new bacteria.

Is Pope Francis in stable condition?

Pope Francis remained alert, aware, and cooperative with medical staff. His prognosis continued to be cautious. While doctors did not confirm whether he was in stable condition, they referred to the respiratory crises in the past tense, indicating that they had passed.

These crises marked a new setback in the 88-year-old pope's ongoing battle with a complicated respiratory infection. Francis, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed, has been struggling with this infection for over two weeks.

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Dr. John Coleman, a pulmonary critical care doctor at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, said the episodes were more concerning than the last one on Friday, in which Francis had a coughing fit, inhaled some vomit that needed to be extracted and then was put on the noninvasive mechanical ventilation for a day and then didn't need it anymore.

The use of bronchoscopies reflects a worrying level of mucus and phlegm in the lungs, Coleman said, as reported by AP.

“The fact that they had to go in there and remove it manually is concerning, because it means that he is not clearing the secretions on his own," he said.

In a late update, the Vatican said the episodes were caused by a “significant accumulation” of mucus in his lungs and bronchial spasms. “Copious secretions,” were extracted during the bronchoscopies and the pope was put back on noninvasive mechanical ventilation, a mask that covers his nose and mouth and pumps oxygen into the lungs,” the Vatican said.

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The Vatican has not released any photos or videos of Pope Francis since he was hospitalized on February 14 for a complex lung infection, marking the longest absence of his 12-year papacy.

While the Vatican has supported Francis' decision to recover quietly and privately, on Monday, one of his closest allies, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, encouraged him to speak out, stressing that the world needs to hear his voice.

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“We need men like him who are truly universal and not only one-sided,” Paglia said, speaking after a press conference to launch the annual assembly of his Pontifical Academy for Life, the Vatican’s bioethics academy, which has as this year's theme “The End of the World?”

(With inputs from AP)