Pope Francis has suffered an “isolated breathing crisis” which caused him to vomit, provoking a “sudden worsening” of his respiratory condition, the Vatican said.
The episode happened on Friday afternoon after the pontiff, 88, spent the morning alternating “respiratory training” with prayer in the chapel at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where he has been battling pneumonia for two weeks.
A Vatican official said the breathing crisis on Friday did not last for long and that his doctors were expected to need 24-48 hours to assess how the event would affect his clinical condition.
The Vatican said in its evening update that the pope inhaled the vomit, leading to the “sudden worsening” of his respiratory condition.
The Vatican said earlier on Friday that Francis would not be leading the church service on 5 March to mark the beginning of Lent.
