Pope John Paul II is breathing independently and was able to have breakfast, a day after undergoing a tracheotomy operation, the Vatican said yesterday.
In a statement, Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls also said the pope was not suffering from a lung infection.
Medical experts note that pneumonia is a common cause of death among patients who, like the 84-year-old pontiff, suffer from Parkinson's disease.
Navarro-Valls also said the pope would be unable to talk "for a few days".
Earlier, the pope was said to have spent a trouble-free night in hospital recovering from surgery aimed at easing his breathing.
The pope was rushed to hospital with breathing difficulties on Thursday and was placed on a respirator after an operation that created an opening in his trachea to help him breathe.
Many of the Catholic church's 1 billion followers joined in services around the world yesterday to pray for the pope's recovery.
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