Sarah Rainsford

Pope Francis is now stable after a sudden breathing crisis, his second since he was taken to hospital. The Vatican says he is still receiving oxygen, but he's had no more lung spasms and he doesn't have a fever. He's said to be alert, not confused, doing breathing exercises and eating normally.

Pope Francis is now stable after a sudden breathing crisis, his second since he was taken to hospital. The Vatican says he is still receiving oxygen, but he's had no more lung spasms and he doesn't have a fever. He's said to be alert, not confused, doing breathing exercises and eating normally.

The Pope's doctors stress that he is not out of danger, but these latest details will reassure those Catholics who watch anxiously for the daily updates and who pray for the Pope each evening outside St Peter's Basilica. Many have come to Rome as pilgrims in a special jubilee year for the Church, one which Pope Francis had planned to be part of.

The Pope's doctors stress that he is not out of danger, but these latest details will reassure those Catholics who watch anxiously for the daily updates and who pray for the Pope each evening outside St Peter's Basilica. Many have come to Rome as pilgrims in a special jubilee year for the Church, one which Pope Francis had planned to be part of.

Next week, though, he won't be able to say Mass at the start of Lent, and he has now been in hospital and out of the public eye for the longest ever period of his papacy.

Next week, though, he won't be able to say Mass at the start of Lent, and he has now been in hospital and out of the public eye for the longest ever period of his papacy.

We have achieved a historic result.

We have achieved a historic result.

It is still, I think, very troubling for his doctors, certainly still troubling for Vatican officials here, but somewhat, I won't say improved, but somewhat less stark than the quite shocking picture that there was yesterday, which certainly, I think, rattled many people here in Rome who heard that the Pope had had what was described as a respiratory crisis and that he'd had blood transfusion.

It is still, I think, very troubling for his doctors, certainly still troubling for Vatican officials here, but somewhat, I won't say improved, but somewhat less stark than the quite shocking picture that there was yesterday, which certainly, I think, rattled many people here in Rome who heard that the Pope had had what was described as a respiratory crisis and that he'd had blood transfusion.

So we've got a little more detail on that just now. We understand that the Pope had two units of blood and that there was some improvement in what had been described as some anemia. So that is slightly improved. But the sort of novelty, I guess, in this kind of clinical picture is that he has some kidney problems, a mild renal insufficiency. But they're saying that is under control.

So we've got a little more detail on that just now. We understand that the Pope had two units of blood and that there was some improvement in what had been described as some anemia. So that is slightly improved. But the sort of novelty, I guess, in this kind of clinical picture is that he has some kidney problems, a mild renal insufficiency. But they're saying that is under control.

I think overall, stepping back from the details, it is clearly still a critical condition. The Pope did go to mass today on Sunday up on the 10th floor apartment where he is being cared for in the hospital here in Rome. He, we're told, is not entirely bedridden. He still does sit in his armchair. He is still alert. He is still talking.

I think overall, stepping back from the details, it is clearly still a critical condition. The Pope did go to mass today on Sunday up on the 10th floor apartment where he is being cared for in the hospital here in Rome. He, we're told, is not entirely bedridden. He still does sit in his armchair. He is still alert. He is still talking.

But clearly he's very, very unwell and his doctors are still working with him very closely and hoping that the treatment that they're giving him can begin to show some results. Sarah Rainsford.

But clearly he's very, very unwell and his doctors are still working with him very closely and hoping that the treatment that they're giving him can begin to show some results. Sarah Rainsford.

Der Pope Francis hat über seine Gesundheit gefragt. Und die letzte Vatikan-Update ist noch nicht der starkste. Der Pope hatte, was heute als eine verlängerte Respirationskrise beschrieben wird, die Oxygen benötigt hat. Er brauchte auch Bluttransfusionen, sagt der Vatikan, nachdem Tests gezeigt haben, dass er Anämie hat. Die Popes Situation, wie es vorher war, ist beschrieben als kritisch.

Der Pope Francis hat über seine Gesundheit gefragt. Und die letzte Vatikan-Update ist noch nicht der starkste. Der Pope hatte, was heute als eine verlängerte Respirationskrise beschrieben wird, die Oxygen benötigt hat. Er brauchte auch Bluttransfusionen, sagt der Vatikan, nachdem Tests gezeigt haben, dass er Anämie hat. Die Popes Situation, wie es vorher war, ist beschrieben als kritisch.

Der 88-Jährige ist nicht aus Gefahr, sagt das Statement. Und es sagt, dass er mehr als gestern verletzt ist. Es ist nicht möglich, eine Prognose zu geben. This will all worry Catholics around the world, especially after doctors yesterday said for the first time the Pope was responding to medication. But they also noted that any slight thing risked upsetting a delicate balance.

Der 88-Jährige ist nicht aus Gefahr, sagt das Statement. Und es sagt, dass er mehr als gestern verletzt ist. Es ist nicht möglich, eine Prognose zu geben. This will all worry Catholics around the world, especially after doctors yesterday said for the first time the Pope was responding to medication. But they also noted that any slight thing risked upsetting a delicate balance.