Pope Francis has skipped reading a planned speech at a conference in the Italian capital, Rome, citing health reasons.
The Pope said he had breathing problems following a hernia operation earlier June.
"I am still under the effects of anaesthesia, my breathing is not good," Francis told a meeting of the Catholic Oriental Church, AP news agency reports.
Pope Francis said the delegates will, instead, receive a text of the speech.
Asked by a well-wisher how he felt, the 86-year-old Pope replied: "I'm still alive."
The Roman Catholic Church leader had surgery on June 7 to repair an abdominal hernia.
He spent nine days in hospital recovering and has had a busy schedule since returning to the Vatican last Friday, including meeting the presidents of Cuba and Brazil.
