Cardinal Blase Cupich asks for prayers for Pope Francis

Chicago’s Catholic community and those of other faiths offered prayers Saturday for Pope Francis, who remained hospitalized in critical condition suffering from complex respiratory ailments.

The Archdiocese of Chicago said in a statement Saturday night that it had “received word that the Pope’s condition worsened this morning.”

“Please continue your prayers for his recovery and for the health care professionals working to lead him through this setback,” Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, said in a statement. “We ask our Merciful Lord to restore Pope Francis to good health and to keep him free from pain as he receives treatment.”

The 88-year-old Francis, who has been hospitalized for a week with a complex lung infection, also received blood transfusions after tests showed a condition associated with anemia, the Vatican said in an update Saturday.

“He is not out of danger,” said his personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone. “So like all fragile patients I say they are always on the golden scale: In other words, it takes very little to become unbalanced.”

Francis, who has chronic lung disease, was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14 after a weeklong bout of bronchitis worsened.

Francis has led the Catholic Church since 2013.