Vatican journalists crowded into a side room of the Holy See Press Office on Saturday to get a full update on the pontiff’s health after he took a turn for the worse the afternoon before. Pope Francis suffered a bronchial spasm on Friday that caused him to vomit,

Pope Francis had a "peaceful night" on Saturday, after recovering from a coughing fit. The news came in a Holy See press office update issued on the 88-year-old's condition Sunday morning. The head of the Catholic church has been hospitalized since February 14,

This was the pope's "third serious downturn" since he was admitted to Gemelli Polyclinic hospital with a complex respiratory infection on Feb. 14, the BBC said. The Vatican said laboratory tests suggested the mucus was a response to Francis' original pneumonia, not a new infection.

The 88-year-old pope, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, woke up after sleeping through the night, the Vatican said.