It has happened…What we feared the most…But we must thank God for everything. May He alone be praised!!

Pope Francis is in a critical condition after he suffered a long asthmatic respiratory crisis that required high flows of oxygen, the Vatican has said.

Francis, 88, who has been hospitalised for a week with a complex lung infection, also received blood transfusions after tests showed a condition associated with anemia, the Vatican said in an update today.

Earlier, doctors said Francis was battling pneumonia and a complex respiratory infection that doctors said remains touch-and-go and will keep him hospitalised for at least another week.

The Vatican carried on with its Holy Year celebrations without the pope on Saturday.

In a brief earlier update today, Francis is said to have slept well overnight.

But doctors have warned the main threat facing Francis would be the onset of sepsis, a serious infection of the blood that can occur as a complication of pneumonia.

As of Friday, there was no evidence of any sepsis, and Francis was responding to the various drugs he is taking, the pope’s medical team said in their first in-depth update on his condition.