“Pope Francis is touched by the numerous messages of affection and closeness that he continues to receive in these hours,” the Vatican statement said. The pope expressed particular gratitude for the well wishes he received from his fellow patients in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital and asked for continued prayers.

Pope Francis was placed in “critical condition” on Saturday, the Vatican said, just four days after the religious leader contracted pneumonia. “The condition of the Holy Father continues to be

The Vatican said Pope Francis has the "onset of bilateral pneumonia," and that tests, a chest X-ray and the pope's clinical condition present a "complex picture."