Pope Francis’s final moments have been described as peaceful yet heartbreaking by his physician, according to a report from the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. The pontiff was found with his eyes open and breathing normally but unresponsive when Dr. Sergio Alfieri was urgently called to the Vatican on Monday, April 21.
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, had been battling declining health for several months leading up to his death at the age of 88.
Back in February, the Holy Father was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital after developing a respiratory infection. Diagnosed with chronic bronchitis that later progressed to pneumonia in both lungs, he also suffered from mild kidney failure. After five weeks of intensive treatment, he was discharged and returned to the Vatican on March 23 to begin a two-month period of rest and recovery.
Dr. Alfieri, who had overseen the pope’s hospital care, continued monitoring his health during his recovery at the Vatican. The Vatican confirmed Pope Francis’s passing earlier this week.
The pope was 88 (Franco Origlia/Getty Images)
Dr Alfieri was alerted at 5.30am on Monday (April 21) by Francis’s health care assistant, Massimiliano Strappetti, that the pope was sick and needed hospital treatment.
The doctor told Corriere that he arrived 20 minutes later.
“I went into his room, and he had his eyes open. I noted that he did not have respiratory issues, so I tried to call him but he did not respond,” Dr Alfieri was quoted as saying. “He also did not respond to stimuli, even painful ones.
“In that moment, I understood there was nothing more to do. He was in a coma.”
Dr Alfieri said it was too risky moving Francis back to the Gemelli hospital, where he was treated for a complex respiratory infection that nearly killed him twice.
“The pope wanted to die at home, he always said it while he was at Gemelli,” Dr Alfieri said.
The pope died two hours after suffering a stroke.
Pope Francis died earlier this week (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)
Cardinal Pietro Parolin arrived and said the rosary over the body, accompanied by the papal household staff, Dr Alfieri told the Milan daily.
“I gave him a caress, as a farewell,” the doctor said.
Vatican News has reported that the pope managed a gesture of farewell to Mr Strappetti after falling ill, and that people with him at the time said he did not appear to suffer.
Francis will be buried on Saturday (April 26) in a state funeral that will be broadcast across the globe.
Pope Francis had requested that his tombstone doesn’t mention that he served as the leader of the Catholic Church for 12 years, unlike others that have held papacy.
