Pope Francis has participated remotely in the Vatican's spiritual retreat after getting good news from his doctors. They upgraded his prognosis and say he is no longer in imminent danger of death as a result of pneumonia. The 88-year-old pope isn't out of the woods yet, however. Doctors are still cautious and have decided to keep him hospitalized for several more days to receive treatment, not to mention a period of rehabilitation he will likely need. The Vatican said Francis woke up Tuesday morning just after 8 a.m. after a quiet night.

The Vatican says Pope Francis is in stable condition and breathing with just the help of supplemental oxygen after respiratory crises a day earlier. But he will resume using a ventilation mask at night. In its late update Tuesday, the Vatican said Francis had no further respiratory episodes during a day spent praying, resting and undergoing respiratory physiotherapy. Doctors said that they would put the noninvasive mechanical ventilation mask back on him while he sleeps, but that during the day he was only using high flows of supplemental oxygen. Doctors said his prognosis remains guarded, meaning he is not out of danger.

The Vatican says that Pope Francis has suffered two new episodes of acute respiratory crises and has been put back on noninvasive mechanical ventilation. Doctors extracted "copious" amounts of mucus from his lungs in another setback in what has become a more than two-week battle to overcome a complex respiratory infection and pneumonia. In a late update Monday, the Vatican said the episodes were caused by a "significant accumulation" of mucus in his lungs and bronchial spasms. "Two bronchoscopies were performed with the need for aspiration of copious secretions," the Vatican said. Francis remained alert, oriented and cooperated with medical personnel. The prognosis remained guarded.