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.

Pope Francis has extended the Catholic Church's reform process by three years, despite ongoing health issues. The reforms aim to elevate women's roles, potentially by ordaining female deacons, and increase laypeople's involvement.