The head of Pope Francis’s medical team has shared new insights into the pontiff’s final moments.
Dr. Sergio Alfieri, who treated the Pope earlier this year for pneumonia at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, revealed in interviews published Thursday that the 88-year-old died swiftly and peacefully on the morning of Easter Monday. According to Dr. Alfieri, no medical intervention could have changed the outcome.
He recalled receiving an urgent call around 5:30 a.m., summoning him to the Vatican. He arrived roughly 20 minutes later to find Pope Francis conscious but unresponsive.
“I entered his room and he had his eyes open,” Dr. Alfieri told Corriere della Sera. “He wasn’t struggling to breathe. I called his name, but he didn’t respond.”
It was then that Dr. Alfieri realized the gravity of the situation. “In that moment, I knew there was nothing more we could do. He had fallen into a coma.”
In a separate interview with La Repubblica, Dr. Alfieri said some officials present suggested rushing the Pope back to the hospital, but it was clear that wouldn’t have helped. “He would have died en route,” Alfieri explained. “A CT scan might have given us a more precise diagnosis, but it wouldn’t have changed the outcome. It was one of those strokes that takes you in an hour.”
Although Pope Francis had nearly died from pneumonia earlier in the year, his sudden passing came as a shock. Just the day before, he had appeared in good spirits, waving to crowds from the popemobile in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday.
After being discharged from the hospital on March 23 following a 38-day stay, doctors advised the Pope to rest for two months to aid recovery. But Francis, known for his tireless work ethic, continued his duties. He briefly met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Easter Sunday and visited a Roman prison on April 17, Holy Thursday.
Dr. Alfieri emphasized that Francis didn’t disregard medical advice. “He was the Pope,” he said. “Resuming work was part of his healing. He was never in danger because of it.”
The doctor last saw him on Saturday afternoon. “He seemed very well,” Alfieri said. He even brought the Pope a pie in a flavor he knew he liked. “Francis told me, ‘I feel good. I’ve started working again, and I’m enjoying it.’”
“He wanted to remain the Pope until the very end,” Dr. Alfieri added. “He didn’t let us down.”
In his final conversation with the doctor, Francis shared one lingering regret. While he was grateful for the chance to visit the prison on April 17, he wished he had been able to take part in the traditional Holy Thursday foot-washing ritual.
“‘This time I couldn’t do it,’” Dr. Alfieri recalled the Pope saying. “That was the last thing he said to me.”