ROME (AP) — Pope Francis remained in critical condition Monday but showed slight improvement in laboratory tests and resumed some work, the Vatican said, including calling a parish in Gaza City that he has kept in touch with since the war there began.

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

Several Filipinos in Vatican City joined the vigil and prayed the holy rosary at the St. Peter's Basilica on Monday night for the recovery of Pope Francis, whose condition remains critical as he battles pneumonia in both lungs.