For more than a fortnight, Catholics around the world have been waiting every evening for the few words published daily by the Vatican on the pope's health. Hospitalized since February 14 at Rome's Gemelli hospital, first for complications of bronchitis, then for double pneumonia, Francis, 88, has seen his health deteriorate in the space of a few weeks.

While he has suffered several serious medical problems in recent years – with four hospitalizations since the start of his pontificate in 2013 – never before has he stayed so long away from the affairs of the Catholic Church. The situation is worrying for the institution, as no date for his discharge has yet been communicated by the Vatican.

By the evening of Tuesday, March 4, the pope's condition was "stable." But doctors, who were quick to describe the situation as "critical," have continued to insist in recent days that the pope is "not out of danger." In a sign of growing concern among church authorities, there have been calls to pray in Saint Peter's Square in Rome every evening since February 24. That evening, massed between Bernini's columns, the faithful recited the rosary alongside cardinals, led by Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's approximate equivalent to a prime minister. Since then, hundreds of people have flocked to the square every evening to pray for the pope's recovery.

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