Anxious waiting mixed with disturbing medical jargon — anyone who has sat bedside with a loved one can relate.

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 Blase Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, and Chicago-born Cardinals Robert Prevost and Wilton Gregory would be part of the papal conclave that elects a new pope. Experts say a selection from the United States is unlikely.

For the faithful who have descended on Rome for an event that comes every 25 years, the absence of the pope has been especially deeply felt.

The kidney ailment appears to be in an early stage, the Vatican said, adding that the pontiff is still receiving high flows of oxygen for his respiratory illness.

Francis has weighed in publicly before on ethics for end-of-life medical situations, but it is unknown whether he has made known his own wishes should he face such a crossroads.

ROME — Pope Francis woke up and was continuing his therapies Monday after a quiet night, on the 10th day of his hospitalization for a complex lung infection that has provoked the early stages of kidney insufficiency, the Vatican said.

Since the 13th century, the embalmed body of the deceased pope has been taken, in procession, to lie in state, on a raised pedestal, in St. Peter's Basilica. However, in 2024, Pope Francis "decided to highlight humility over glorification",

The expatriate community is small but shares a special bond with Francis, who has been in the hospital since Feb. 14.

Across the city, New Yorkers are attending Sunday mass as Pope Francis continues to battle serious health issues. At Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Catholics are praying