Pope's condition 'stable', no new breathing crises

Ailing Pope Francis’s condition is “stable” and he has not suffered a fresh breathing crisis, the Vatican said Thursday, as the 88-year-old nears three weeks in hospital with pneumonia.

“The clinical conditions of the Holy Father have remained stable compared to the previous days. Today, too, he has not presented episodes of respiratory failure,” it said, though “doctors are still maintaining a reserved prognosis”.