People across Latin America prayed for Pope Francis, the first leader of the Catholic Church to come from the region, as the Vatican reported on Saturday the Argentina-born pontiff was in critical condition in a Rome hospital.

P ope Francis is in critical condition, the Associated Press reported Saturday, as the 88-year-old leader of the Catholic Church suffered a respiratory crisis following h

Pope Francis ' health has taken a turn for the worse. The 88-year-old experienced an "asthma-like respiratory crisis of prolonged intensity, which required the administration of high-flow oxygen," and his condition "continues to be critical," the Vatican said Feb. 22, more than a week after the pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church was hospitalized.