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People of faith around the world are praying for Pope Francis, expressing sorrow for his suffering and hope for his recovery.
In the District, crowds have been gathering at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the largest Catholic church in North America.
Large crowds are always heading there, either for worship or for tourism. But the current environment has a different feel to it, according to Monsignor Walter Rossi, the rector of the basilica.
“All of the prayers have been directed toward the pope’s health, his well-being,” Rossi said. “This past weekend we had over 5,000 people, and everyone is concerned about the Holy Father, asking what we know.”
The 88-year-old Francis has pneumonia in both lungs and remains in critical condition despite showing a slight improvement after 11 days in the hospital. His blood parameters remain stable, the Vatican said.
The Vatican said early on Tuesday that he had “slept well, all night.”
The Argentine pope, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, has been hospitalized at Rome’s Gemelli hospital since Feb. 14.
“I just keep praying for him that he would be given the grace of perseverance,” said Janice Lee, who went to the basilica on Tuesday to pray.
Lee recalled fondly how she was at that very spot when Pope Francis went there during his trip to D.C. in 2015.
“I hold that memory in my heart,” Lee said. “I never thought that I would have that opportunity, so it was a great thing to be able to do that.”
Rossi said he remembered it like it was yesterday.
“The weather was perfect, you couldn’t have asked for a better day and we had about 30,000 people,” he said. “It was excitement beyond belief.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.