ROME (AP) — Pope Francis remained in critical condition and resting Wednesday, as Argentines and Romans alike gathered in the Eternal City to pray for his recovery from double pneumonia.
The dean of the College of Cardinals, meanwhile, was designated to lead the Vatican's prayer vigil in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday night, thrusting a key figure in a future possible conclave into the spotlight.
The Vatican’s short morning update said: “The pope had a peaceful night and is resting.”
On Tuesday night, the faithful from Francis' homeland gathered in the Argentine church of Rome for a special Mass presided over by Cardinal Baldassarre Reina, the pope’s vicar for Rome.
The rector of the church, the Rev. Fernando Laguna, said that he hoped the pope could feel the embrace of the community's prayer from the Gemelli hospital where he is recovering.
“I can’t go to Gemelli, because for him to recover he must be isolated,” he said. "I know that I hug him and that he hugs me when I pray. And now I would like to embrace the pope.”
Sister Nilda Trejo said that she knew Francis' health has always been delicate, with problems breathing and speaking loudly, and that's why she always prayed for him.
“We knew that he often found it difficult,” she said. "In fact, you see that at the beginning of Mass, the microphone always has to be turned up because he has a bit of trouble. But he always spoke to the people. To the heart of the people.”
Across town, Romans and others gathered in St. Peter's Square for the nightly Rosary prayer, presided over by Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, who runs the Vatican's office responsible for the church in the developing world.
The Vatican said that the Wednesday evening vigil in St. Peter's would be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, 91, the influential dean of the College of Cardinals. Francis recently extended Re's term as dean, keeping him in the important job rather than naming someone new.
As is now popularly known thanks to the Oscar-nominated film “Conclave,” the dean is a key point of reference for cardinals. He presides over a papal funeral and organizes the conclave to elect a new pope.
From 2000-2010, Re was prefect of the Vatican's congregation for bishops, one of the most powerful and influential positions in the Holy See. Francis made him dean in 2020 and confirmed him in the job in January despite the expiration of his five-year term.
Doctors said that Francis was in critical but stable condition and hadn't suffered any new respiratory crises. He underwent a follow-up CT scan on Tuesday evening to check the lung infection, but no results were provided. Doctors said that his prognosis remained guarded.
Francis continued to work from the hospital, and on Tuesday announced some major governing decisions that suggest he's getting essential work done and looking ahead.
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