Faithful pray for Pope Francis in Saint Peter's square

Pope Francis remains hospitalized with double pneumonia, marking his longest stay in the hospital during his nearly 12-year papacy. The Vatican continues to provide daily updates as thousands gather to pray for his recovery.

Pope Francis remains in a critical but slightly improved condition after spending his 13th night at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, marking the longest hospital stay of his nearly 12-year papacy. According to the Vatican, he has slept well and is now resting. Officials also reported that he continues to receive oxygen, but there have been no further respiratory issues, and a CT scan revealed normal progress in the inflammation of his lungs. On Wednesday, hundreds of faithful gathered in Saint Peter’s Square to pray for his recovery.

Dax Donaway, a student from the United States, said, “And just kind of walking through here every day, you can kind of feel how everything has been kind of sad. So I definitely say it's disappointing and kind of everyone's on edge. There's a lot of tension there.” Richard Marchi, a faithful visitor from Sardinia, shared, “Yes, the Pope is important I think for the whole world, so it is only right that we come here with a thought and greet him even just with a thought. We come from Sardinia, we are here for something else, but we said let's stop by and that's it."

For centuries, discussing the pope’s health was considered taboo at the Vatican, as the pontiff is a revered spiritual figure for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. However, since Pope Francis was hospitalized with double pneumonia on February 14th, the Vatican has taken a more transparent approach, providing daily updates on his condition.

Born in Buenos Aires, Pope Francis became the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere and the first non-European pope in nearly 1,300 years when elected in 2013. His focus on mercy and advocacy for the underprivileged has earned him global respect and admiration.

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