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

TORVAIANICA, Italy (AP) — Moira Camila Garnica and a group of fellow migrant transgender women have been gathering at their parish church to pray for Pope Francis as he continues to battle pneumonia in a Rome hospital, about an hour away from this modest seaside town.

Pope Francis, 88, has been in a critical condition due to a lung infection. His two weeks in Rome's Gemelli hospital is the longest stay of his papacy and underscores his frailty. Francis has made more than 45 international trips during his papacy,

Pope Francis was in stable condition Tuesday and breathing with just the help of supplemental oxygen after respiratory crises a day earlier, but will resume using a ventilation mask at night, the Vatican said.

Catholic faithful in Rome and the Vatican City prayed for Pope Francis' recovery on Tuesday, after he stabilized following two respiratory crises.