Pope Francis, who has been in hospital for two weeks with double pneumonia, is in a “stable” condition, with no repeat of the previous day’s breathing crisis, the Vatican said Saturday.

The 88-year-old head of the Catholic Church is still receiving oxygen, but has no fever, has been eating, was alert and praying, the Holy See said in its regular evening update.

His haemodynamic parameters — those relating to the flow of blood — are also stable and he does not have leukocytosis, a high white blood cell count that often indicates an infection, the Vatican said.

“The clinical conditions of the Holy Father have remained stable,” it said, while adding that the prognosis, as in previous days, remained “reserved”.

Francis, leader of the world’s almost 1.4 billion Catholics, was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on February 14 with bronchitis, but it soon developed into pneumonia in both lungs.

Last weekend the Vatican reported he was in a “critical” condition, suffering a major respiratory attack and requiring blood transfusions, prompting widespread concern.

Throughout the week it described a series of incremental improvements, but then on Friday, there was more alarming news.

Francis “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.

His doctors said it would take 24 to 48 hours to see if this has worsened his condition or not.

Andrea Ungar, professor of geriatrics at the University of Florence, told AFP on Saturday that it appeared vomit had entered the pope’s lungs, which “aggravated the pneumonia”.

Such an issue normally required a strengthening of antibiotics, ventilation and respiratory exercises, he said.

He also agreed that the first 24 to 48 hours after an incident were crucial, adding that the pontiff would likely stay in hospital a long time, “at least 10 days” in the most optimistic scenario.