He is free from fever, "always alert, co-operative with therapies and well-oriented", the Vatican said in a statement. On Tuesday evening, they had said the Pope was stable after suffering two episodes of respiratory failure the day before.

Francis is being treated with supplemental oxygen to assist him with breathing, the Vatican said Tuesday, a day after he suffered two episodes of acute respiratory failure.

Pope Francis had recovered enough Tuesday from two acute respiratory crises to no longer require noninvasive mechanical ventilation, the Vatican said, and was receiving just high flows of supplemental oxygen.