Pope Francis, batting double pneumonia in hospital, remained stable throughout the day on Tuesday and did not have any new respiratory crises, the Vatican said. Francis, 88, had suffered two episodes of what the Vatican described as "acute respiratory insufficiency" on Monday.

Pope Francis suffered two episodes of acute respiratory failure Monday, the Vatican said, a fresh setback in the worst health crisis of his papacy.

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Pope Francis remained in stable condition Tuesday night, relying only on supplemental oxygen during the day after experiencing respiratory crises the day before, the Vatican reported. However, doctors will resume using a ventilation mask for him at night.

As Pope Francis has battled double pneumonia in hospital for nearly three weeks, talk of the 88-year-old pontiff's death or resignation has become almost commonplace.

Time-honored rituals, drafted and refined over centuries, allow time for mourning and provide order at a dramatic moment of transition.