Vatican Says Pope Francis No Longer Using Mechanical Ventilator as Condition Improves

The pontiff has been hospitalized with pneumonia since February.

Pope Francis speaks during the weekly general audience, in Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican, February 12, 2025. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

Pope Francis’s condition is improving, and he no longer needs a mechanical ventilator to help him breathe at night, the Vatican said on March 19.

The 88-year-old pontiff has been hospitalized at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for nearly five weeks after being diagnosed with a complex lung infection that developed into pneumonia in both lungs. The infection has required evolving treatment, including the use of noninvasive mechanical ventilation.