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.

Despite a month-long hospitalization for pneumonia, Pope Francis has approved a three-year reform process, focusing on women's roles and laity inclusionThe pope’s decision extends the reform process until 2028,

The leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics is recovering from double pneumonia at Rome’s Gemelli hospital.

The pope was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14 with a severe respiratory infection that has required evolving treatment.