Catholic cardinals gathered in Rome will offer a nightly rosary for Pope Francis as the pontiff remains hospitalized in critical condition with a respiratory infection.
In a statement Monday, the Holy See Press Office announced that starting on Monday evening, the cardinals residing in Rome and other collaborators will gather in St. Peter’s Square at 9 p.m. They will recite “the Holy Rosary for the health of the Holy Father.”
Monday night’s rosary will be led by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and will be available worldwide for streaming on Vatican News’ website and social media channels.
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The nightly rosary comes as Pope Francis has spent more than a week in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. His hospital stay began on Feb. 14, following several days of difficulty breathing.
The most recent update by the Vatican Monday revealed that “the night went well,” adding “the Pope slept well and is resting.”
The Vatican also said Francis attended mass in his hospital room alongside the doctors and nurses treating him.
When saying mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City on Sunday, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York, an influential figure in the American Catholic Church, maintained that Francis is “probably close to death.”
The Vatican has characterized Francis’ illness as a “prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis” and medical tests have confirmed that he has pneumonia in both lungs. The 88-year-old pontiff, who was listed in critical condition over the weekend, has suffered from kidney failure, undergone a blood transfusion and required high-flow oxygen.
The pontiff’s official X account published a message Sunday expressing gratitude for the well wishes the pope has received during his hospital stay.
“I have recently received many messages of affection, and I have been particularly struck by the letters and drawings from children,” Francis wrote. “Thank you for your closeness and for the consoling prayers I have received from all over the world!”
Francis was previously hospitalized in 2023 for a respiratory infection. He has had health challenges throughout his life dating back to when he suffered from pleurisy at the age of 21 and underwent a partial lung removal.
Medical professionals treating the pontiff over the past week had previously warned about the implications of his history and advanced age, with one doctor expressing concern that his illness “could be very difficult to overcome” and that the lung infection could spill into his bloodstream and develop into sepsis.
Francis’ health challenges come as his papacy nears its 12th anniversary. Francis, formerly known as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, became the bishop of Rome on March 13, 2013, marking the first Argentinian pope in recorded history.
Francis replaced Pope Benedict XVI, who resigned and became pope emeritus due to health issues. Benedict died in 2022 at the age of 95, nearly a decade after stepping down from his post.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
