Valentina Fernandez poses for a picture holding an image of Pope Francis after a Mass to pray for his health at Constitution Square in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, Feb. 24,

Walter Espindola wears a shirt with the image of Pope Francis upon arriving at a Mass to pray for his health at Constitucion square in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, Feb.

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.

In Latin America, Francis remains well-liked, though favorability has dropped, particularly in Argentina, where it fell from 98% in 2013 to 74% in 2024. Despite declines, he continues to be viewed as a transformative figure.

Pope Francis remained at the Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday night in Rome still requiring supplemental oxygen. At 88, Francis has lived for decades with only part of his lungs after a respiratory infection prompted surgery in Argentina.

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

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

According to the Vatican, Pope Francis, 88, was still in critical condition Sunday but “remains alert and well-oriented” and took part in Mass on Sunday morning. The Vatican said “some

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

As Pope Francis continues to recover at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, Catholics in the pope's Diocese of Rome and around the world joined in prayer for his health.