Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Vatican says Pope Francis no longer needs mechanical help to breathe as his health improves

Pope Francis’s condition has continued to improve and he no longer needs to use noninvasive mechanical ventilation to help him breathe at night

Nicole Winfield
Wednesday 19 March 2025 14:06 EDT

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.

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.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in