Francis suffered the two crises Monday. Doctors extracted “copious” amounts of mucus that had accumulated in his lungs, the Vatican said in a late update.

The crisis was a new setback in the Pope's fight to recover from a complicated respiratory infection, which has lasted more than two weeks. Pope Francis has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man.

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