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.
Francis has extended the work of the Synod of Bishops, a signature initiative of his 12-year papacy, which has discussed reforms such as the possibility of women serving as Catholic deacons and better inclusion of LGBTQ people in the Church.
The synod, which held an inconclusive Vatican summit of bishops on the future of the Church last October, will now hold consultations with Catholics across the world for the next three years, before hosting a new summit in 2028.
Francis approved the new process for reforms on Tuesday from Rome's Gemelli hospital, where he is being treated, the Vatican said on Saturday.
The pope has been in hospital for more than a month and his prolonged public absence has stoked speculation that he could choose to follow his predecessor Benedict XVI and resign the papacy.
But his friends and biographers have insisted he has no plans to step down, and the approval of a new three-year process indicated he wants to continue on, despite his age and the possibility he might face a long, fraught road to recovery from pneumonia, given his age and other medical conditions.
"The Holy Father ... is helping push the renewal of the Church toward a new missionary impulse," Cardinal Mario Grech, the Church official leading the reform process told the Vatican's media outlet. "This is truly a sign of hope."
After last October's inconclusive Vatican summit, which yielded no concrete action on possible reforms, Francis had faced questions of whether his papacy was running out of steam.
Vatican officials had said at the time that Francis was still considering future changes, and was waiting to receive a series of ten expected reports about possible reforms this June.
The latest medical bulletins from the Vatican on the pope's condition in hospital have said he is improving and is no longer in immediate danger of death.
They have not said when he will be discharged from hospital.
Pope Francis marks the 12th anniversary of his election while recovering from double pneumonia at Rome's Gemelli hospital. The Vatican says his condition is improving, but no discharge date has been set. His illness has reshaped how Catholics observe the milestone.
Pope Francis had a restful night, the Holy See Press Office said on Wednesday, two days after the Pope's doctors said his prognosis was no longer guarded even if he requires more time in the hospital.
Pope Francis continues his treatment for pneumonia at Gemelli Hospital in Rome, as people gather outside to pray near the statue of the late Pope John Paul II, offering support during this challenging time.
Pope Francis is responding well to treatment for double pneumonia, with his overall condition gradually improving, the Vatican said on Saturday. The 88-year-old has been in Rome’s Gemelli hospital for more than three weeks with a severe respiratory infection.
Pope Francis, recovering from double pneumonia, spent another "tranquil" night in hospital, with his condition remaining stable, the Vatican confirmed on Thursday.
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Raising awareness about climate change and water conservation, German adventurer Tanja Braun completed an 850-kilometer run across the Saharan Desert. Her journey, which included running through extreme desert conditions, took her from Erg Chigaga to Erg Chibbi in Morocco.
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