Pope Francis on Thursday shared his first audio message since being hospitalized nearly three weeks ago for double pneumonia, expressing thanks to his well-wishers around the world.

Francis sent a short, two-line recorded message made at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, which was played Thursday evening at the start of the rosary in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.

"I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health from the Square," he said in a message that was translated from Spanish to English. "I accompany you from here. May God bless you and the Virgin protect you. Thank you."

The pope has shared written messages via the Vatican since being admitted to the hospital on Feb. 14, but Thursday was the first time his voice had been heard.

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Francis' condition remained stable and "guarded" Thursday, a day when the pontiff did not have difficulty breathing and remained fever-free.

The pope had a "good night" and continued physical therapy at Rome’s Gemelli hospital for his third week of treatment for double pneumonia, the Vatican said Thursday. 

"Today, the Holy Father dedicated himself to some work activities during the morning and afternoon, alternating rest and prayer," the Vatican said. "Before lunch, he received the Eucharist."

The next update on Francis' condition will come Saturday, the Vatican said, because of his stable condition.

"The night passed quietly; the Pope is still resting," the Holy See press office said earlier Thursday, adding that the Pope’s "clinical condition has remained stable for the last couple of days, and his doctors say he has not had more episodes of respiratory insufficiency." 

The 88-year-old pope, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, has been stable for two days after suffering a pair of respiratory crises on Monday. Doctors underlined that his prognosis remained guarded due to the complex picture.

In recent days, he 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 oxygen with a nasal tube during the day.

The pope on Wednesday marked the start of Lent by receiving ashes on his forehead and by calling the parish priest in Gaza, the Vatican said. He also added physical therapy to his hospital routine of respiratory therapy.

The Catholic Church opened the solemn Lenten season without the pope's participation. A cardinal took his place leading a short penitential procession between two churches on the Aventine Hill and opened an Ash Wednesday sermon prepared for the pontiff with words of solidarity and thanks.

On Ash Wednesday, observant Catholics receive a sign of the cross in ashes on their foreheads, a gesture that underscores human mortality. It is an obligatory day of fasting and abstinence that signals the start of Christianity's most penitent season, leading to Easter on April 20.

The pope was supposed to attend a spiritual retreat this weekend with the rest of the Holy See hierarchy. On Tuesday, the Vatican said the retreat would go ahead without Francis but in "spiritual communion" with him. The theme, selected before Francis got sick, was "Hope in eternal life."