Local pastors called for more intense prayers from the more than 80 million Filipino faithful after Pope Francis, in hospital with pneumonia, suffered a breathing “crisis” on Friday which caused him to vomit. A Vatican source said he was given air and responded well.

The episode came just hours after the Vatican said the 88-year-old pontiff’s condition was no longer considered critical, following a series of incremental improvements.

Francis, who has spent the past two weeks at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, “presented an isolated crisis of bronchospasm which... led to an episode of vomiting with inhalation and a sudden worsening of the respiratory picture,” the Vatican said in a statement on Friday evening.

Papal nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown on Saturday urged Filipinos to continue praying for Pope Francis after the pontiff suffered what was termed as a setback in his two-week battle with double pneumonia.

“Please continue to pray for him. He needs our prayers; he relies on our prayers indeed,” Brown said.

“Yesterday, he suffered a bit of a setback in his medical condition. So please do not cease to pray for our Holy Father Pope Francis at this time,” he said.

The papal nuncio made the call during the installation of Bishop Rufino Sescon Jr. as the new bishop of the Diocese of Balanga at the Cathedral-Shrine and Parish of St. Joseph.

Before the end of the Mass, Sescon also requested a moment of silence and prayer for the healing of the 88-year-old pope.

Good response

The Vatican said, “The Holy Father promptly underwent broncho-aspiration and began non-invasive mechanical ventilation, with a good response on gas exchange,” it said.

Francis “remained alert and oriented at all times, cooperating with the therapeutic maneuvers,” it added.

His doctors said it would take the next 24 to 48 hours to see if this breathing trouble has worsened his condition or not, a Vatican source said.

The pontiff, who is “not out of danger,” was using an oxygen mask that covers his nose and mouth but was “in good spirits,” the source added.

He also responded better than others might have done in his condition, the source said.

The pope was hospitalized on 14 February for breathing difficulties, but his condition deteriorated into pneumonia in both lungs, sparking alarm.

He suffered a breathing attack at the weekend but since then appeared to have been getting slightly better, with the Vatican releasing more optimistic medical updates.

It has not yet modified the pope’s prognosis of “reserved,” however, which means doctors will not predict changes in his health.

Prognosis still reserved

Medical experts have warned that Francis’ age and the chronic respiratory disease from which he suffers mean a sustained recovery could take time.

The pope, head of the world’s nearly 1.4 billion Catholics, had part of one of his lungs removed as a young man and has suffered increasing health problems in recent years.