Cardinal Jose Advincula of Manila will lead a prayer service for Pope Francis, who is currently in the hospital battling ...

Catholic faithful in the Philippines held prayers on Friday for Pope Francis in an hour-long vigil at the Manila Cathedral as the pontiff continues to recover in hospital.

Pope Francis was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital last Friday with bronchitis, but it later developed into pneumonia in both lungs, sparking widespread alarm.

Even as Pope Francis spent his eighth day in a Rome hospital battling pneumonia, reports oscillated between hope and concern.