Vatican says Pope Francis is improving and no longer needs mechanical help to breathe

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis’s condition continued to improve Wednesday and he no longer needs to use noninvasive mechanical ventilation to help him breathe at night, the Vatican said.

NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press

People pray for Pope Francis in front of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, in Rome, Wednesday, March 19, 2025, where the Pontiff is hospitalized since Friday, Feb. 14. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)ASSOCIATED PRESS

Nuns pray for Pope Francis in front of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, in Rome, Wednesday, March 19, 2025, where the Pontiff is hospitalized since Friday, Feb. 14. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)ASSOCIATED PRESS

A woman casts her shadow as she prays for Pope Francis in front of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, in Rome, Wednesday, March 19, 2025, where the Pontiff is hospitalized since Friday, Feb. 14. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)ASSOCIATED PRESS

Candles and flowers for Pope Francis are laid in front of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, in Rome, Wednesday, March 19, 2025, where the Pontiff is hospitalized since Friday, Feb. 14. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)ASSOCIATED PRESS

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis’s condition continued to improve Wednesday and he no longer needs to use noninvasive mechanical ventilation to help him breathe at night, the Vatican said.

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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.

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