The Vatican said as of Tuesday morning, Francis no longer needed to wear the noninvasive mechanical ventilation mask that covers his nose and mouth to pump oxygen into his lungs and was just receiving supplemental oxygen through a nasal tube.

Pope Francis, who has been struggling to overcome double pneumonia for almost three weeks, was taken off mechanical ventilation on Wednesday after using it through the night to help with his breathing,

Pope Francis “rested well” during his 20th night in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital and “woke up after 8 a.m.,” the Vatican said at 8:30 a.m. on Ash Wednesday, March 5.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis was resting Wednesday, the start of the solemn Lenten period leading up to Holy Week observances, after sleeping through the night with a ventilation mask as he undergoes hospital treatment for double pneumonia.

The 88-year-old pontiff has been hospitalized since Feb. 14 after a bout of bronchitis worsened and turned into a complex pneumonia in both lungs.

Francis suffered the two crises Monday. Doctors extracted “copious” amounts of mucus that had accumulated in his lungs, the Vatican said in a late update.

Pope Francis was well-rested and woke up just after 08:00 local time (07:00 GMT) on Wednesday, the Vatican said. The Vatican said the Pontiff - who has been in hospital since February to receive treatment for pneumonia - spent the night on "non-invasive mechanical ventilation" and is now back on a high-flow oxygen mask.

Pope Francis was resting Wednesday, the start of the solemn Lenten period leading up to Holy Week observances, after sleeping through the night with a ventilation mask as he undergoes hospital treatment for double pneumonia.