Pope Francis, who has been in hospital for more than a week, remains in a “critical” condition and developed an “asthmatic respiratory crisis” earlier on Saturday, the Vatican said in a statement.

“This morning Pope Francis presented with an asthmatic respiratory crisis of prolonged magnitude, which also required the application of oxygen at high flows,” the Vatican wrote about the ailing pontiff, who is being treated for pneumonia.

While Francis “continues to be alert and spent the day in an armchair,” he is “in more pain than yesterday,” it added.

He also received blood transfusions today to treat anaemia, according to the statement.