“Pope Francis is touched by the numerous messages of affection and closeness that he continues to receive in these hours,” the Vatican statement said. The pope expressed particular gratitude for the well wishes he received from his fellow patients in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital and asked for continued prayers.

ROME — The Vatican carried on with its Holy Year celebrations without the pope Saturday, as Pope Francis battled pneumonia and a complex respiratory infection that doctors say remains touch-and-go and will keep him hospitalized for at least another week.