A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Pope Francis is still hospitalized in critical condition this morning. He's fighting double pneumonia. The Vatican says, quote, "the night passed well" and that the pope slept and is resting. Earlier blood tests indicated signs of early kidney failure. On Sunday, Catholics around the world prayed for Francis' recovery. NPR's Ruth Sherlock went to one service at a cathedral in Rome.
RUTH SHERLOCK, BYLINE: Marisa Maron, a thin woman who looks in her 60s, sits alone, her facial expression tense with sadness and fear.
MARISA MARON: (Speaking Italian).
SHERLOCK: "Pope Francis always has a kind prayer for everybody," she says. "Now he really deserves so much thought and affection."
(Speaking Italian).
Could these prayers help him? - I ask.
MARON: (Speaking Italian).
SHERLOCK: "We turn to God," she says, becoming emotional.
MARON: (Speaking Italian).
SHERLOCK: The Basilica of St. John Lateran, the oldest public church in Rome with its gold leaf ceilings and ornate statues, is packed for this special service for the pope.
UNIDENTIFIED CHOIR: (Singing in non-English language).
SHERLOCK: You can feel the sadness here among the congregation. As people are praying, there are tears rolling down their cheeks. They are feeling this moment very deeply.
UNIDENTIFIED CHOIR: (Singing in non-English language).
SHERLOCK: The pope has been hospitalized for over 10 days, during which time his condition has worsened. In a written message sent for the Sunday prayer at St. Peter's Square that he would usually attend, Pope Francis said he was continuing confidently with his treatment in hospital. And he posted on social media, saying, quote, "thank you for your closeness and for your consoling prayers."
STAFANO D’AGNESE: (Speaking Italian).
SHERLOCK: At the end of the evening service as Stafano D'Agnese (ph) leaves, he tells me these gatherings bring a feeling of brotherhood, of being united in this difficult moment.
D’AGNESE: (Speaking Italian).
SHERLOCK: Ruth Sherlock, NPR News, Rome.
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