Pope Francis joked that he is “still alive” as he left the hospital in Rome where he spent the past few days being treated for a respiratory infection.

He stopped to talk to well wishers and journalists after being discharged from Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Saturday morning.

The Pontiff was in good spirits when he replied to CNN’s Delia Gallagher’s questions about how he was feeling, telling her “[I’m] still alive, you know!”

When asked if he got scared on Wednesday due to his respiratory problems, the Pope recalled what an “old man” told him after going through a similar situation.

“An old man, older than me, told me after a situation like this: ‘Father, I didn’t see death, but I saw it coming. It’s ugly, eh!’”

He also embraced a couple who the Vatican said lost their daughter the previous night.

After leaving the hospital, Pope Francis paid a visit to one of Rome’s most famous churches, Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore, and prayed for the sick children he met while being treated, the Vatican added.