The health of Pope Francis remains unclear as the faithful have gathered in St. Peter’s Square nightly to pray for his recovery. The 88-year-old pontiff was hospitalized almost two weeks ago, suffering from double pneumonia and mild renal insufficiency.

Pope Francis was in critical but stable condition Tuesday as he worked from the hospital while battling double pneumonia, and the Vatican

For centuries, one of the biggest taboos at the Vatican was openly discussing the pope's health. As leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, the pope is a revered spiritual figure. Talking about his earthly health was profane.