Pope Francis has suspended the use of an oxygen mask, the Vatican said on Wednesday, adding that the 88-year-old's clinical condition was 'improving' after more than one month in the hospital.

The release of the photo a month into his treatment came after dozens of young people gathered under the pontiff’s windows to offer wishes for a quick recovery.

Pope Francis is no longer using ventilation to help him breath at night, the Vatican says. The 88-year-old has been in Rome's Gemelli Hospital for nearly five weeks battling pneumonia. The Vatican has not yet given a time frame for the pontiff's discharge, saying his recovery is going slowly.