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

Argentines pray for Pope Francis' health at Buenos Aires cathedral Mass

COMMENTARY: ‘Hope,’ which is not what it claims to be and is less than it ought to be, nevertheless gives glimpses into how life in Buenos Aires shaped Jorge Bergoglio.

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.

At a Mass in the cathedral of Buenos Aires on Sunday, numerous worshippers prayed for the ailing Pope Francis, who was born in the Argentinian capital. In front of the church where the pope used to work,

A candle glimmers alongside a painting of Pope Francis at San José de Flores basilica, Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he worshipped as a youth, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025.

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

The pope has spent nine nights at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, receiving treatment for pneumonia and other health complications. He is "alert and well-oriented" and attended Mass on the 10th floor of the hospital today, the Holy See Press Office said.

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

Pope Francis, 88, is receiving treatment at Rome's Gemelli Hospital following serious lung problems, fueling conjectures regarding the next papal election.

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.