A mainland Catholic bishop attending the ongoing "Two Sessions" in Beijing on Saturday expressed hope for the speedy recovery of Pope Francis.

Francis, 88, has been hospitalised for three weeks with pneumonia in both lungs. The Vatican on Friday said his condition remained "stable" after the pope delivered a weak and breathless audio message thanking well-wishers.

John Fang, vice-president of the Bishops' Conference of Catholic Church in China and a Standing Committee member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said Catholics across the nation are praying for the pope.

At the Great Hall of the People, Fang also noted he's been advocating for diplomatic relations between Beijing and the Holy See, though there's no timeline for when that would happen.

"We hope for the early establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Vatican. We have repeatedly advocated for this at various meetings and occasions with leadership, and are actively working toward early diplomatic relations," he told RTHK.

In October last year, the Vatican and China extended a deal over the appointments of Catholic bishops by another four years.

The agreement was reached in 2018 and was renewed in 2020 and 2022, giving both sides the power to nominate candidates.