Pope Francis suffered a brief respiratory crisis in hospital and his condition has deteriorated again. This is reported by "Reuters", citing a Vatican statement.
"This afternoon the Holy Father experienced a bronchospasm, said the latest detailed information on the Pope's condition. He was immediately aspirated and non-invasive mechanical ventilation was started."
His doctors are expected to assess his clinical condition within 48 hours.
We recall that the 88-year-old Francis is in Rome's "Gemelli" hospital for two weeks after being admitted on February 14 with a severe respiratory infection that led to other complications.
He was later diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs.
The Vatican last week described his condition as critical and said he had an "initial, mild insufficiency" in his kidney function that same day.
Double pneumonia is a serious infection that can inflame both lungs, making it difficult to breathe. The Vatican described the pope's infection as "complex" and specified that it was caused by two or more microorganisms.
Francis, who has been pope since 2013, has suffered bouts of ill health for the past two years. He is particularly prone to lung infections because he developed pleurisy as a young man and had part of one lung removed.
More positive news has been reported in the past 3 days about a "slight improvement" while Francis is battling a so-called "complicated" infection caused by two or more microorganisms.