Dr Sergio Alfieri was alerted about the Pope’s deteriorating condition by Francis’ health care assistant, Massimiliano Strappetti, that Francis had been stricken and needed to be taken to the hospital. The doctor said that he arrived in 20 minutes after he was alerted.
In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Pope Francis’ doctor has given an account of the Pontiff’s last moments as he says he found the pontiff with his eyes open and breathing normally, but unresponsive, when he was called to the Vatican early Monday morning.
Dr Sergio Alfieri was alerted about the Pope’s deteriorating condition by Francis’ health care assistant, Massimiliano Strappetti, that Francis had been stricken and needed to be taken to the hospital. The doctor said that he arrived in 20 minutes after he was alerted.
The newspaper quotes Aliferi as saying, “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.”
The doctor said that Pope did not even respond to stimuli, even painful ones, adding, “In that moment, I understood there was nothing more to do. He was in a coma.”
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,” Alfieri said.
The pope died two hours after suffering a stroke. Cardinal Pietro Parolin arrived and said the rosary over the body, accompanied by the papal household staff, 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 Strappetti after falling ill and that people with him at the time said he did not appear to suffer.
Francis will be buried Saturday in a state funeral. The Pope’s funeral is expected to draw world leaders, including US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and dozens of official delegations.
(With inputs from AP)