The Vatican says Pope Francis suffered a coughing fit that resulted in him breathing in vomit, requiring noninvasive mechanical ventilation.

The development marked a setback in what had been two successive days of increasingly upbeat reports from doctors treating Francis.

The Vatican said Friday that Pope Francis is on a breathing machine after suffering a sudden respiratory episode during his hospitalization.

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

The Vatican says the "criticality" of Pope Francis health condition "has subsided for the moment," but he's still hospitalized and the "prognosis remains guarded."

Pope Francis, who is being treated in hospital for double pneumonia, slept well overnight and is resting, the Vatican said in a brief statement on Thursday. The 88-year-old pontiff was spending his 14th day in Rome's Gemelli hospital after coming down with a severe respiratory infection that triggered various complications.