The Vatican announced Saturday that Pope Francis remains in critical condition at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital following a respiratory crisis that required blood transfusions.

Pope Francis ' health has taken a turn for the worse. The 88-year-old experienced an "asthma-like respiratory crisis of prolonged intensity, which required the administration of high-flow oxygen," and his condition "continues to be critical," the Vatican said Feb. 22, more than a week after the pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church was hospitalized.