Hundreds gathered for Sunday mass at New York City’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral to pray for Pope Francis, who remains in critical condition after he was diagnosed with double pneumonia.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, relayed the pontiff and Vatican’s message that the pope was “resting comfortably” as he reminded the worried worshipers that Francis has a history with health issues that he has overcome to lead the Catholic Church.
“He keeps the grit and determination, the resilience, and he’s really taught us… the transformative redemptive value of suffering,” Dolan said.
“Today at least they say he’s resting comfortably, it’s kind of good to know that he’s not suffering,” he added.
The pope was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14 after experiencing difficulty breathing for several days, with doctors diagnosing him with pneumonia in both lungs.
The Vatican said his condition was critical for the first time on Saturday, with the pontiff needing supplemental oxygen and blood transfusions following a “prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis.”
Lifelong New Yorker and philanthropist Barbara Zucker, 87, said she came down to St. Patrick’s to pray for the pope, joined by her husband Donald, who is Jewish.
“I just don’t want to lose him because he’s been very special,” Zucker told The Post.
“I’m hoping that when they do have a conclave because he’s pretty sick, that they’ll have somebody as good as him, and maybe better. He cares about everyone,” she said of the ailing pontiff.
Dawn Cortese, 56, of Bergen County, New Jersey, said she made the trek to Manhattan with a friend to show solidarity with Francis, who she said serves as the best representative of the Catholic Church.
“I just hope that he recovers and that he’s not in any pain, and I’m praying for him,” she said.
Fellow Garden State resident Louis Vacca, 78, said he was upset to hear the news of Francis’ health.
“That’s the father of the church. So we believe in him and God,” Vacca said. “We’re praying, we’re praying for him.”
Dolan, who was part of the conclave that elected Francis to the role of pope in 2013, said he too was worried about pontiff’s health as he reminisced about their meeting in 2015.
“He was kind of mesmerized by the size of [New York City], and he was very, very moved by the enthusiasm of the welcome we gave,” Dolan said of Francis’ visit to the Big Apple.
“I’ve gotten to know him, so I worry about him as I would as I would my own father, because he is our holy father,” the archbishop added
Double pneumonia is a serious infection that can inflame and scar both lungs, making it difficult to breathe. Francis is particularly prone to lung infections after he developed pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed.
