A woman holds religious images during a Mass to pray for Pope Francis' health at Constitucion square in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

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.

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.

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.

Women kiss during a prayer for Pope Francis' health at Constitucion square in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

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

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.

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

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, will lead a public recitation of the rosary at 9 p.m. Feb. 24 in St. Peter’s Square.

Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has transformed the face of the Roman Catholic Church since his election in 2013. The first pope from the Western Hemisphere,