Pope Francis suffers breathing crisis amid pneumonia battle

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".