ROME — Pope Francis rested early Tuesday after he suffered further setbacks in his fight against double pneumonia: two new acute respiratory crises that required him to resume using noninvasive mechanical ventilation to breathe. In its early Tuesday update, the Vatican said: “The pope slept through the night, now rest continues.”

The crisis was a new setback in the Pope's fight to recover from a complicated respiratory infection, which has lasted more than two weeks. Pope Francis has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man.

Pope Francis has resumed the use of an oxygen mask and ventilator to assist his breathing, but remains “alert, focused and cooperative”, the Vatican said.