ROME – Faithful around the world heard Pope Francis’s voice for the first time since he was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital three weeks ago in an audio message thanking believers for their prayers for his recovery.

In his audio recording, the pope spoke in Spanish, with a labored and breathless voice, saying, “I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health from the Square, I accompany you from here.”

“May God bless you and the Virgin protect you. Thank you,” he said.

The pope’s message was played aloud in St. Peter’s Square just before a 9 p.m. nightly rosary, which Thursday will be led by Spanish Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, pro-prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, a second-in-command position serving under the Vatican’s first woman dicastery prefect, Italian Sister Simona Brambilla.

It marked the first time since he was admitted Feb. 14 that the world has heard his voice as he continues to battle double pneumonia. No pictures of the pope since he was hospitalized have yet been released.

In a March 6 communique, the Vatican said the pope’s condition “remained stable” as it has for the past two days, and he did not experience any additional episodes of respiratory failure, following several recent instances.

He continued with respiratory and mobility therapy, and his blood tests were also stable Thursday, and he continues to be without a fever.

Despite several days of good news for Pope Francis, who was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital Feb. 14 for treatment of a complex respiratory infection and double pneumonia, doctors are still maintaining an overall “guarded” prognosis, which remains unclear.

Given the pope’s stability over the past three days, doctors said they would not be providing a medical update on Friday, meaning the next information they will release on the pope’s condition will come Saturday evening local time.

The pope spent Thursday morning working, and in the afternoon, he alternated rest with prayer, receiving the Eucharist before lunch.

Vatican sources said earlier Thursday that Francis continues to receive high-flow oxygen administered through nasal cannulas, or tubes, during the day.

Given his ongoing hospitalization, he will be unable to preside over events for the Jubilee for the world of Volunteering this weekend. A Mass for the event will instead be celebrated by Canadian Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development.

As the pope continues treatment, prayers and Masses are offered daily for his health and recovery, including a daily hour of adoration and two daily Masses at Gemelli Hospital, and a nightly rosary said in St. Peter’s Square that is led and attended by cardinals resident in Rome and members of the Roman Curia.

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