Doctors declare Pope Francis no longer in 'imminent danger'

Pope Francis is no longer in imminent danger from double pneumonia his doctors announced for the first time on March 10. 

"The improvements recorded in the previous days have further consolidated, as confirmed by both blood tests and clinical objectivity and by the good response to pharmacological therapy," said a Vatican statement released at 7:50 p.m. local time on Monday evening. "For these reasons, the doctors have decided today to lift the prognosis."

A Vatican source said that the pope's underlying condition no longer presents an "imminent danger" to the 88-year-old pontiff, but that his underlying chronic conditions still reflect a complex medical picture. 

For more than a week now, the Vatican's daily updates have trended in an incrementally positive direction. The pontiff's last known setback was on March 3, when Francis suffered two episodes of respiratory failure. Since then, however, his condition has consistently been described as "stable."

"Given the complexity of the clinical picture and the significant infectious picture presented upon admission, it will be necessary to continue the pharmacological medical therapy in a hospital setting for additional days," the Vatican medical bulletin continued. 

Tonight's announcement comes after the pope was first admitted into hospital on Feb. 14 for respiratory difficulties 25 days ago. 

For the last week, the pope has alternated between receiving mechanical ventilation throughout the night and high-flow oxygen therapy via nasal cannulas during the day. A Vatican source said this continues to be the treatment regimen.