The Vatican said as of Tuesday morning, Francis no longer needed to wear the noninvasive mechanical ventilation mask that covers his nose and mouth to pump oxygen into his lungs and was just receiving supplemental oxygen through a nasal tube.

Pope Francis had stabilised enough on Tuesday after two respiratory crises to be taken off non-invasive mechanical ventilation and resume receiving just high flows of supplemental oxygen via a nasal tube to help him breathe,

Pope Francis, the 88-year-old leader of the Catholic church, had another setback in his battle with double pneumonia after suffering two acute respiratory failures when mucus in his lungs made it harder to breathe.