Catholic leaders called upon the faithful to pray for Pope Francis in Italy and his native Argentina on Wednesday, after the 88-year-old pontiff was diagnosed with pneumonia the previous day.

Catholic faithful in Argentina have been praying for Pope Francis' recovery. The pontiff, 88, who is from Argentina, remained in a critical condition on Sunday after he suffered a prolonged

Father Lorenzo de Vedia, better known as "Toto," center right, arrives for evening Mass where he offered up prayers for the good health of Pope Francis, amid a power outage

Catholic leaders called upon the faithful to pray for Pope Francis in Italy and his native Argentina on Wednesday, after the 88-year-old pontiff was diagnosed with pneumonia the

Children listen to a coach during a swimming lesson with a painting of Pope Francis in the background, in San Jose natatorium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.

Pope Francis remained in critical condition as the Vatican called senior church officials in Rome to a special saying of the rosary in St. Peter’s Square.

Francis is being treated for pneumonia, a complex infection and kidney problems that have left him in critical condition. He did some light work on Monday.

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Pope Francis remains in critical condition and he continues to receive supplemental oxygen, but he has not experienced any further respiratory crises.

Francis was also given blood transfusions, according to the Vatican, after blood tests revealed he was suffering from thrombocytopenia, meaning the platelet count in his blood was too low, a condition the doctors said is associated with anemia. Infections and medical treatment may lower platelet count.

Francis, 88, is in critical condition at a Rome hospital with a complex lung infection. The Vatican said he was "alert and spent the day in an armchair" on Saturday.