The expatriate community is small but shares a special bond with Francis, who has been in the hospital since Feb. 14.

Hundreds of Argentines attended a special mass Monday for their countryman Pope Francis, hospitalized in a critical condition with pneumonia in Rome. They gathered on the same square in Buenos Aires where as archbishop,

ROME — Pope Francis woke up and was continuing his therapies Monday after a quiet night, on the 10th day of his hospitalization for a complex lung infection that has provoked the early stages of kidney insufficiency, the Vatican said.

Our community is living these days of apprehension in prayer,” said Father Fernando Laguna. “It’s the only way we can be close to the pope. It’s our way of sending him a big kiss and hug.”

Guillermo Marco, former spokesman for the pope when he was Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, told Reuters it had been a "wasted opportunity" for Argentina. Francis, he said, had a "tango soul" - a reference to the music and dance that has its origins in the back streets of Buenos Aires.

Argentine pontiff has been at Gemelli hospital in Rome since February 14 and on Monday suffered two episodes of "acute respiratory failure." The 88-year-old was admitted initially for bronchitis, which then developed into pneumonia in both lungs.

He has lamented that he can't walk around freely as he did when he lived in Buenos Aires, when he was known for taking public transportation. As an archbishop, Francis came to Rome frequently on periodic visits to the Vatican and frequented his favorite ...

Hundreds of Argentines attended a special mass on Monday for their countryman Pope Francis, hospitalised in a critical condition with pneumonia in Rome.

The pope has spent nine nights at Rome's Gemelli Hospital ... Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, was elected pope in March 2013, becoming the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere. Parishioners around the world have been praying ...

Though some blood tests showed "initial, mild, kidney failure," doctors said it was under control. "The complexity of the clinical picture, and the necessary wait for drug therapies to provide some feedback,

ROME and LONDON -- Pope Francis's condition ... Mass to pray for Pope Francis' health at the Plaza Constitucion in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Feb. 24, 2025. Martin Cossarini/Reuters Vatican ...

Hundreds of Argentines attended a special mass yesterday for their countryman Pope Francis, hospitalised in a critical condition with pneumonia