Pope Francis stops using oxygen mask as condition improves, Vatican says

According to the Vatican, Pope Francis is no longer breathing through an oxygen mask at night, and his doctors predict that he will continue to improve.

The Vatican announced in a statement on Wednesday that Francis is “improving” after spending more than a month in the hospital, according to the most recent update on the pope’s health.

Francis, 88, was undergoing severe respiratory infection overnight at Gemelli Hospital in Rome, Italy.

The pope is still given oxygen through a small plastic tube under his nose despite having been “suspended,” according to the statement.

The pope’s doctors believe his infection is under control, according to the Vatican press office.

The Catholic Church leader, according to the press office, has a normal blood test result and not a fever. The Vatican announced the update on Monday, noting that the pope had been breathing infrequently.

The Vatican has not specified a date for the pontiff’s possible discharge, despite the fact that his condition has been stable or improving for the past two weeks.

King Charles of Great Britain announced on Tuesday that his wife, Queen Camilla, would travel to Italy and the Vatican in early April.

Francis and the royals are currently scheduled to meet for an appointment that will typically be coordinated with senior Vatican officials on April 8.

Francis, who had pneumonia in both lungs, was taken to the hospital on February 14.

The pope has been receiving both physical therapy to relieve knee and back pain and respiratory physiotherapy to help with breathing.

The Vatican released Francis’ first image of him in a hospital on Sunday, showing him praying in a chapel.