Pope Francis had to 'use oxygen mask for first time' as he continues treatment for double pneumonia

It comes after the news that Pope Francis is being treated in hospital following an ‘isolated’ breathing crisis.

The Pope had an isolated coughing fit, also described as a bronchial spasm, which caused the 88-year-old to vomit. This forced him to use an oxygen mask on his nose and mouth for the first time, said the Vatican.

The Holy Father breathed in some of the vomit, leading to "a sudden worsening of his respiratory condition". Vatican sources said the latest crisis happened at about 2pm local time yesterday, (Friday February 28), but did not say how long it lasted.

In an update on this morning (Saturday March 1), however, the Vatican said the Pope had a peaceful night and is resting. "I think he had coffee this morning,” a Vatican official added.

Francis has been in Rome's Gemelli hospital for more than a fortnight after suffering from double pneumonia. The Vatican said The Pope has "responded well" to treatment. He has remained conscious and alert at all times, a spokesperson added.

Doctors will now need between 24 and 48 hours to understand if his overall condition has worsened because of the crisis, but they did not give a prognosis and reported the Pope was "in good spirits".

This is now the longest the Pope has been in hospital, and the longest period in which he's been out of public sight, since he took over from Pope Benedict in 2013. The Pope was admitted to hospital on Friday February 14 after experiencing breathing difficulties for several days. He was first treated for bronchitis before being diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs.