Vatican City is filled with anxiety as the condition of Pope Francis remains critical after being admitted to the hospital 11 days ago with bronchitis and subsequent pneumonia. The faithful gather expectantly in St. Peter’s Square, along with reporters and Vatican officials, awaiting terse bulletins on his health. On Monday, false reports circulated about the Pope’s death before a slight improvement was reported.

Pope Francis is now showing signs of kidney failure and infections, which has veterans of papal transitions feeling the familiar and ominous atmosphere. A 27-year-old seminarian, Duban Corredor, arrived at St. Peter’s Square on Monday night to pray for the Pope’s health, adding that he had seen the Pope looking tired at a Christmas Eve prayer service but was also at peace.

“These are delicate moments,” Corredor said, expressing concern for the Pope’s health.

On a damp Monday evening, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s second-in-command, led cardinals, bishops, and thousands of faithful in a rosary prayer for Pope Francis’ health. Under intermittent rain, the cardinal addressed the crowd, who consisted mainly of priests, nuns, and pilgrims, and stated that the Christian people have always prayed for the Pope when he is in danger or sickness. The cardinal encouraged them to pray for Pope Francis at this time of illness.

Cardinal Parolin addressed the crowd, consisting largely of priests, nuns, and pilgrims, saying, “For 2,000 years the Christian people have prayed for the pope when he was in danger or sick.”

Francis, the 266th pope, has served as an important spiritual leader for the Roman Catholic Church. The death of a pope used to have a significant impact on powerful aristocrats and the church’s direction, but now, while still important, it will mainly be a changing point for the church’s priorities, vision, and ideology. Nevertheless, the church continues to have a global impact and its leaders rally around the Pope during his struggles.

Cardinals, including those who have clashed with the Pope and those who could possibly replace him, gathered to pray and rally around Pope Francis. While there is private speculation about who may replace him, they remain united in their support for the Pope at this critical time.

The faithful and clerics focus on Pope Francis’ life rather than the possibility of his death. They believe that ultimately, his health is in God’s hands. There is a sense of solemnity in St. Peter’s Square as the Pope battles pneumonia and infections.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/25/world/europe/pope-francis-condition-prayers.html