26/02/2025
In a quiet chapel within Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, a doctor kneels before the Blessed Sacrament in his white coat. A patient in a wheelchair bows his head in silent prayer. Nearby, a group of religious sisters hold their rosary beads as they gaze up at the altar.
This is the scene in the John Paul II hospital chapel, where a daily Holy Hour of Eucharistic adoration is being held just floors below where Pope Francis, 88, is receiving treatment for pneumonia and early-stage kidney failure — marking the most extended hospitalization of his pontificate.
The hospital Holy Hour is one of many prayer initiatives that have sprung up in the Eternal City as the pope remains in critical condition and the global Catholic community continues to offer fervent prayers for him.
Each evening at 9 p.m., hundreds of Catholics convene in St. Peter’s Square to recite the rosary for the pope.
The rosary vigils are led by prominent cardinals, including Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. Notably, more than two dozen Rome-based cardinals, among them Cardinal Raymond Burke and Cardinal Gerhard Müller, occupy the front rows, heads bowed in unified prayer.
Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik, prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for the Clergy, spoke to CNA after the first vigil in St. Peter’s Square.
“I hope the pope will heal,” he said, emphasizing the importance of following Pope Francis’ example during this time by living the Word joyfully, loving others, and opening our hearts to the marginalized and the poor.
The South Korean cardinal gave a passionate response when asked what was his message for the pope during this time: “Once I said to the Holy Father, ‘I am ready to give my life for you, for the Church.’ This I repeat.”
At the Basilica of St. Mary Major — the basilica where Pope Francis has said he hopes to be buried — every Mass is being offered for the pope, the basilica’s communications director told CNA, including Masses celebrated in the chapel of the ancient Salus Populi Romani image of Mary, a favorite of Francis, who prays in the chapel before and after every international trip. https://bit.ly/3EVqfF7