Pope Francis Has a Setback

The Vatican said that Pope Francis was responding well to treatment after a bronchial spasm on Friday afternoon, a scare that caused him to inhale vomit. The pope did not need to be intubated during the crisis, the New York Times reports, but is now wearing a mask to help him breathe. He had undergone respiratory physiotherapy and prayed in the Rome hospital's chapel in the morning, after a peaceful night's sleep, per NBC News. Francis, 88, was conscious and alert during the spasm, the Vatican said.

It will be a day or two before it's known whether the coughing attack has caused the pope's condition to deteriorate, doctors said. Austen Ivereigh, the pope's biographer, posted on X: "It's a setback," adding, "I was getting too confident." Francis entered the hospital on Feb. 14 to be treated for bronchitis and has since been dealing with double pneumonia and other complications. Slight improvements have been reported at times, but the Vatican said Friday that the pope's prognosis "remains reserved," per ABC News. (More Pope Francis stories.)