Pope Francis has early renal failure and is in critical condition.

Despite the influx of prayers, the Pope is still attentive and responsive, and he attended Mass.
As the 88-year-old pope fights pneumonia and a complicated lung illness, Pope Francis remained in critical condition Sunday, February 23, 2025. Blood tests revealed early kidney failure, but he is nevertheless alert, responding, and attended Mass, the Vatican announced.

According to a late update from the Vatican, Francis was still needing high amounts of supplementary oxygen even though he hadn't experienced any more respiratory crises since Saturday night, February 22, 2025.

Francis' physicians came to the conclusion that the prognosis should remain guarded due to the intricacy of the clinical picture and the need to wait for medication therapy to offer some feedback.

Meanwhile, Francis received prayers from people all across the world, including kids in Rome, the seat of Sunni Islam in Cairo, and his own Argentina.

The Catholic people were united "at the bedside of a dying father," as Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York acknowledged, something that church leaders in Rome were not publicly expressing.

In his sermon from the pulpit of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dolan stated, "As our Holy Father Pope Francis is in very, very fragile health, and probably close to death." However, he later expressed his hope and prayer for Francis to "bounce back" to reporters.

Given his advanced age, frailty, and underlying lung illness, doctors have described Pope Francis' health as touch-and-go. His illness has reignited conjecture about his potential resignation and what would happen if he passes out or becomes handicapped in some other way.

As part of the Vatican's annual commemoration of Holy Year, Pope Francis was scheduled to ordain deacons and conduct Mass in St. Peter's Basilica on Sunday morning, February 23, 3035.
Before giving the speech the pope had prepared, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, who organized the Holy Year, said the Mass in his place and said a special prayer for Francis from the altar.

We feel close to Pope Francis, despite the fact that he is in a hospital bed. "We sense his presence among us," Mr. Fisichella said to the hundreds of deacons in white robes.

On Sunday, February 23, 2025, Pope Francis was supposed to read a pre-written message, but he failed to do so. The message stated that he was "confidently continuing my hospitalization at the Gemelli Hospital, carrying on with the necessary treatment; and rest is also part of the therapy!" As he typically does, the message urged people to pray for him and mentioned the approaching anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, calling it "a painful and shameful occasion for the whole of humanity."

In Argentina, the birthplace of Pope Francis, Catholics prayed for the pope in the cathedral in Buenos Aires, and the city's famous obelisk was illuminated with the words, "Francis, the city prays for you."

He received best wishes in Cairo from the grand imam of Al-Azhar, the center of Sunni scholarship that developed a strong relationship with Pope Francis.

Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb posted on Facebook, "I pray to Allah to grant my dear brother, Pope Francis, a swift recovery and to bless him with good health and well-being so that he may continue his journey in serving humanity."