Catholics in La Union, Philippines, prayed for Pope Francis to fully recover on Sunday (February 23) after the Vatican said he was in critical condition battling double pneumonia.

The pope was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on February 14 after experiencing difficulty breathing for several days and subsequently had pneumonia diagnosed in both lungs.

READ: In message, pope says 'confidently' continuing treatment

The Vatican described his condition as critical for the first time on Saturday (February 22), reporting that the 88-year-old Francis had needed supplemental oxygen and blood transfusions that day after a "prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis."

In 2015, Francis travelled to the Philippines to visit victims of typhoon Haiyan in 2013 and held a mass which was attended by millions of Catholic devotees. More than 80 percent of the country's more than 110 million population practice the Catholic faith.

(Production: Jay Ereno, Peter Blaza)