Pope Francis, who suffered two respiratory crises on Monday as he battles double pneumonia, has stabilised and no longer needs to use mechanical ventilation for help breathing, the Vatican said on Tuesday.

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

Pope Francis, who has been in hospital for just over two weeks fighting double pneumonia, is in a stable condition and has not had further breathing crises, the Vatican said on Saturday.