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ROME (AP) 鈥� Pope Francis hit the three-week mark Friday in his hospitalization for double pneumonia, after giving the world a tangible indication of just how frail he is.

The Vatican said the 88-year-old pope had a good night鈥檚 rest and woke up Friday morning just after 8 a.m. Doctors said they didn’t expect to give another medical update until Saturday, given his continued stability and absence of respiratory crises or other setbacks for several days now.

But Francis offered a first public sign of just how weak he is on Thursday by recording an audio message that was broadcast to the faithful in St. Peter鈥檚 Square who had gathered for the nightly recitation of the rosary prayer.

In it, Francis thanked the people for their prayers. But his voice was barely discernible through his labored breaths and he spoke in his native Spanish, perhaps because it came more easily to him than Italian.

鈥淚 thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health from the square, I accompany you from here,鈥� he said to the hushed square. 鈥淢ay God bless you and the Virgin protect you. Thank you.鈥�

The messaged served many purposes. It was the first public sign of life from the pope since he entered Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14, and put to rest right-wing conspiracy theories and rumors calling into question his true medical status.

But the audio also underscored just how weak Francis is. For anyone used to hearing his voice, which is often so soft it sounds like a whisper, the audio was an emotional punch to the gut that hammered home just how hard it is for him to even breathe.

The cardinal presiding over the prayer, Cardinal 脕ngel Fern谩ndez Artime, had told the crowd at the start of the service that he had 鈥渂eautiful news, a beautiful gift鈥� to share.

鈥淥h che bello,鈥� marveled one nun in the crowd. 鈥淥h how beautiful.鈥�

The clearly surprised crowd broke into applause and then applauded again after Francis鈥� final 鈥淕racias.鈥� Fern谩ndez Artime, for his part, bowed his head as he listened.

The 88-year-old pope has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man.

The Vatican has given twice-daily updates on Francis鈥� condition, but has distributed no photos or video of him since the morning of Feb. 14, when he held a handful of audiences at the Vatican before being admitted to Rome鈥檚 Gemelli hospital for what was then just a bad case of bronchitis.

The infection progressed into a complex respiratory tract infection and double pneumonia that has sidelined Francis for the longest period of his 12-year papacy and raised questions about the future of his papacy.

The absence of any images of Francis in a country where the image and voice of the pontiff is a part of everyday life helped fuel dire conspiracy theories, primarily among right-wing critics of the pope, about Francis鈥� true fate.

Francis has issued written messages from the Gemelli, including some that seemed very much like him. But even Vatican officials had been clamoring to hear his voice, saying the pope鈥檚 calls for peace are particularly needed at a time of such global conflict and war.

More than any pope before him, Francis has mastered the art of informal and direct communication, often recording cell phone videos for visitors, anything from a 鈥淗appy Birthday鈥� for someone’s mother to a religious prayer for a particular church group. For the considerable effort it must have taken, the audio message made clear that he understood the power of his voice, even in its weakened state.

Doctors on Thursday reported that Francis was in stable condition, with no new respiratory crises or fever. He continued his respiratory and other physical therapy Thursday, worked, rested and prayed from the 10th floor papal suite at Rome鈥檚 Gemelli hospital. His prognosis remains guarded, meaning he is not out of danger.

The pope has been sleeping with a non-invasive mechanical mask to guarantee that his lungs expand properly overnight and help his recovery. He has been transitioning to receiving high-flow oxygen with a nasal tube during the day.

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP鈥檚 with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.