Pope Francis has approved a new three-year reform process for the Catholic Church, sending a strong signal he plans to continue in the post despite spending a month in hospital battling pneumonia.

Pope Francis approved a new three-year process to consider reforms for the global Catholic Church, the Vatican said on Saturday, in a sign the 88-year-old pontiff plans to continue on as pope despite his ongoing battle with double pneumonia.

The Vatican shared the first photo of Pope Francis in over a month on March 16, amid his recent health scare. The photograph, which comes after the pope, 88, was hospitalized in February with double pneumonia,

Pope Francis was photographed at the hospital for the first time since he was admitted last month for double pneumonia.