The nuns who operate the Vatican’s switchboards say they have received a swathe of well wishes for Pope Francis, as he continues to recover from pneumonia, which left has him hospitalised for over a month.

The Vatican’s main phone number is public. Calls to the line are manned by the sisters of the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master. All callers are able to speak with a fellow human being – rather than a dial tone answer machine.

"It’s the Vatican´s voice - a voice that despite the digitalization of communications, the Vatican wants to preserve as a human voice," Mother Micaela, the order’s mother superior told the Associated Press.

Sister Anthony, who works in an office beside St Peter’s Basilica said: "[People] feel like children waiting to know about their father. We tell them to pray for him.”

The sisters have operated the Vatican switchboards since 1970, when their then-mother superior asked them to be  "a voice that does good, because through the phone wire it communicates Christ himself."

Sister Simona has worked the lines for over 15 years. She said: “We never get a call that’s the same as the previous one… Some people are angry with the church, so we listen respectfully.”

“People of simple faith don’t understand that the Pope cannot speak to everyone. But if I can give consolation or hope, it’s okay.”

Mother Michaela considers the sisters’ female touch to be a crucial part of the operation. “Pope Francis often reminds that the church is a mother. And to be this voice, this sensibility, this feminine approach gives a sense of reliability."