Pope Francis was breathing without a mask on Tuesday after suffering two bouts of acute respiratory failure, the Vatican said as the leader of the world's Catholics spent his 19th day in hospital with pneumonia.

The Vatican says that Pope Francis has suffered two new episodes of acute respiratory crises and has been put back on noninvasive mechanical ventilation

Pope Francis, in hospital fighting double pneumonia, rested well overnight, the Vatican said on Monday. The Vatican said on Sunday evening that the 88-year-old pontiff's condition was stable, and he no longer required the use of mechanical ventilation to breathe.