Photographer's shadows are cast on a marble statue of late Pope John Paul II outside the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome where Pope Francis is being treated for pneumonia, Thursday,

Candles are left at the foot of a marble monument of late Pope John Paul II outside Rome's Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic where Pope Francis is being treated for pneumonia, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. Nuns pray for Pope Francis in front of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic,

A marble statue of late Pope John Paul II is backdropped by the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic on Saturday in Rome, where Pope Francis was hospitalized the prior day after a

Priests pray for Pope Francis in front of the statue of Pope John Paul II at the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, in Rome, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, where the Pontiff has

Time-honored rituals, drafted and refined over centuries, allow for ritual mourning and provide order at a dramatic moment of transition.

The pope was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on February 14 after experiencing difficulty breathing for several days and subsequently had pneumonia diagnosed in both lungs.

With Pope Francis remaining in critical condition fighting a complex respiratory infection and bilateral pneumonia, the cardinals and curial officials in Rome have organized a rosary and special Mass for the pontiff.

The chaplain of the Agostino Gemelli Hospital, where Pope Francis remains hospitalized, has called for faith and prayer, urging Catholics to embrace "hope against all hope" as concerns over the pontiff's health persist.

Pope Francis’ medical team says the pontiff's condition isn’t life-threatening. But they said Friday that Francis isn't out of danger.

The Vatican No. 2, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, will lead the first prayer Monday. Francis, who has double pneumonia and is in the early stages of kidney insufficiency, was awake and in good spirits Monday.

Rome's Gemelli hospital, where Pope Francis is being treated for pneumonia, is the favoured choice of pontiffs — to the point of being dubbed "Vatican III" by John Paul II. The 88-year-old Francis is on his fourth stay at the Gemelli since 2021.