The month of February has been tough for the Catholic world, as Pope Francis, the bishop of Rome and spiritual guide to millions of Catholics around the world, is in critical condition.

   The Primate of Italy currently undergoes treatment for pneumonia at Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, Italy, which marks his third longest tenure in a hospital since his election in 2013.

   “This morning Pope Francis was presented with asthmatic respiratory crisis of prolonged magnitude, which also required the application of oxygen at high flows,” The Vatican said.

   The Pope’s condition will make him unable to deliver the weekly Angelus prayer, dedicated to the mystery of the Incarnation of Christ, the third time in his 12-year long papacy.

   Despite the wearisome news, medical personnel have reported that the 88-year old has taken the hospitalization well.

   “We joked as always. He hasn’t lost his proverbial sense of humor,” Giorgia Meloni, the Italian Prime Minister, said after a brief visit.

   The Catholic leader has a history with the ailment, as he endured severe pneumonia, which resulted in the removal of a portion of his lung. In 2021, he suffered from diverticulitis, a condition that leads to inflammation of the colon. He underwent surgery to remove part of the organ.

   The Catholic world showed great concern for the Pope’s condition, as adherents of the faith, mostly concentrated around the Pope’s home country in Argentina, but even in places as far off as the Philippines, have congregated to pray for the pontiff’s recovery.

   “Aware of how precious community prayer is, we ask all parishes and communities of religious life to hold an hour of silent adoration before” the celebration of Mass. As one big family we ask that the Lord give our bishop the strength he needs to face this delicate moment,” Cardinal Baldassare Reina, Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome, said.