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.

The 88-year-old pontiff suffered a constriction of his respiratory airways on Friday, akin to an asthma attack, renewing concerns over his well-being.

However, in a more upbeat readout on Saturday, the Vatican said the pope did not have a fever and did not show signs of an increased white blood cell count, adding that his blood flow and circulation remained stable.