VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Francis remained stable through the day on Sunday and no longer required the use of mechanical ventilation to breathe, the Vatican said, in a sign of progress as the 88-year-old pontiff battles double pneumonia.

Pope Francis, who has been hospitalized for just over two weeks fighting double pneumonia, is in a stable condition and has not had further breathing crises, the Vatican said on Saturday. The 88-year-old pontiff suffered a constriction of his respiratory airways on Friday,