LOOK: Cardinal Tagle leads prayer service in Vatican for recovery of Pope Francis
Cardinal Luis Tagle, a senior Vatican official, led a prayer service for Pope Francis as the head of the Catholic Church continues his hospitalization.
Tagle held the prayer service at St. Peter's Square on Wednesday, Feb. 26 (Philippine time) attended by pilgrims and senior Church figures.
He prayed for the pope's health, and asked that he would experience "the solidarity and closeness of the Christian community."
The service is being repeated daily this week.
Francis, battling double pneumonia, remains in critical condition for the fourth day running but is stable and has not had any further respiratory crises, the Vatican said on Tuesday, Feb. 25.
The 88-year-old pope was spending his 12th night at Rome's Gemelli hospital, the longest hospital stay of his papacy.
"The clinical conditions of the Holy Father remain critical, but stable," the latest forthright health update read.
The pope's prognosis, it said, remains "guarded." But his hemodynamic parameters, a measure of the functioning of his body's circulatory system, were also "stable."
A Vatican official, who did not wish to be named because he was not authorized to discuss the pope's condition, said earlier on Tuesday that Francis was eating normally, moving about his hospital room, and continuing his treatment.
The Vatican also revealed that Francis had met his second-in-line, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and Parolin's deputy early this week.
It said they had discussed several pending cases for sainthood. In addition, the Vatican announced new appointments that would have needed the pope's approval.
Francis has been working occasionally from the hospital as Vatican business continues apace during his illness. (by Crispian Balmer and Joshua McElwee, Reuters)
