Priest Agustin Lopez leads a Mass for the health of Pope Francis at Caacupe church in the Carlos Mugica neighborhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo

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

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.

Vatican says Pope Francis remains in critical condition and blood tests show early kidney failure but he remains alert and “well-oriented.”

Francis is being treated for pneumonia, a complex infection and kidney problems that have left him in critical condition.

Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has transformed the face of the Roman Catholic Church since his election in 2013. The first pope from the Western Hemisphere,

Catholics across Argentina gather to pray for Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope, as he battles a serious lung infection in Rome.

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.