{"id":1711,"date":"2025-04-25T22:10:22","date_gmt":"2025-04-25T22:10:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/?p=1711"},"modified":"2025-04-25T22:10:22","modified_gmt":"2025-04-25T22:10:22","slug":"1711","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/?p=1711","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"\" data-start=\"536\" data-end=\"1111\">At the center of the Pope\u2019s medical journey was Dr. Sergio Alfieri, who had been a trusted figure since 2021, when he operated on Francis for diverticulitis. Their relationship had grown close, built on trust, humor, and the Pope\u2019s gentle defiance. Alfieri recalled how Francis, despite stern medical advice, loved sneaking down to the kitchen at Casa Santa Marta for midnight snacks, putting on nearly 30 extra pounds over time. \u201cAt times I came off as too rigorous,\u201d Alfieri admitted to <em data-start=\"1025\" data-end=\"1040\">La Repubblica<\/em>, recounting the Pope\u2019s reminder to him: \u201cRemember to live with irony.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"google-auto-placed ap_container\"><ins class=\"adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8932760345406231\" data-adsbygoogle-status=\"done\" data-ad-status=\"unfilled\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"aswift_2_host\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"aswift_2\" tabindex=\"0\" title=\"Advertisement\" src=\"https:\/\/googleads.g.doubleclick.net\/pagead\/ads?gdpr=0&amp;client=ca-pub-8932760345406231&amp;output=html&amp;h=345&amp;adk=3763479270&amp;adf=2889969359&amp;w=414&amp;abgtt=6&amp;lmt=1745614560&amp;num_ads=1&amp;rafmt=1&amp;armr=3&amp;sem=mc&amp;pwprc=4958199357&amp;ad_type=text_image&amp;format=414x345&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fdailypositive24.com%2F29590%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR6AJ0ZDl5WE7tU_0aO5OsiSr1XQYCuPF8GYFyXPYwY6moCBxYeA0bXhH_IbYw_aem_kzQr1JXPDzgTUzyh6XnC-A%23m9xcadi75u2yf42vfzt&amp;fwr=1&amp;pra=3&amp;rh=321&amp;rw=385&amp;rpe=1&amp;resp_fmts=3&amp;sfro=1&amp;wgl=1&amp;fa=27&amp;dt=1745618674211&amp;bpp=1&amp;bdt=3032&amp;idt=-M&amp;shv=r20250423&amp;mjsv=m202504220101&amp;ptt=9&amp;saldr=aa&amp;abxe=1&amp;cookie=ID%3D66325412a6461944%3AT%3D1745618672%3ART%3D1745618672%3AS%3DALNI_MabiMlu8nO_PYovS13KXn0NwWgdmg&amp;gpic=UID%3D00001090cb70ac56%3AT%3D1745618672%3ART%3D1745618672%3AS%3DALNI_MZORapBWEPVVGWqfmyBrt00R6Uipg&amp;eo_id_str=ID%3De1b41f411c37b1c5%3AT%3D1745618672%3ART%3D1745618672%3AS%3DAA-AfjbV-SLKGInNceqQIC26L026&amp;prev_fmts=0x0%2C414x345&amp;nras=3&amp;correlator=3210730275089&amp;frm=20&amp;pv=1&amp;u_tz=120&amp;u_his=2&amp;u_h=896&amp;u_w=414&amp;u_ah=896&amp;u_aw=414&amp;u_cd=24&amp;u_sd=2&amp;adx=0&amp;ady=2456&amp;biw=414&amp;bih=706&amp;scr_x=0&amp;scr_y=0&amp;eid=42531706%2C95357461%2C95358975%2C95359238%2C95359120&amp;oid=2&amp;pvsid=2092354907931036&amp;tmod=649729336&amp;uas=1&amp;nvt=1&amp;ref=http%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2F&amp;fc=1408&amp;brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C414%2C0%2C414%2C706%2C414%2C706&amp;vis=1&amp;rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&amp;abl=NS&amp;fu=128&amp;bc=31&amp;bz=1&amp;pgls=CAEaBTYuNC41&amp;ifi=8&amp;uci=a!8&amp;btvi=2&amp;fsb=1&amp;dtd=328\" name=\"aswift_2\" width=\"414\" height=\"0\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" sandbox=\"allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation\" data-google-container-id=\"a!8\" aria-label=\"Advertisement\" data-google-query-id=\"CKW4laiY9IwDFURZ9ggdwTYHTg\" data-load-complete=\"true\" data-origwidth=\"414\" data-origheight=\"0\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/ins><\/div>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1113\" data-end=\"1509\">Despite serious respiratory crises that required urgent interventions, the Pope showed remarkable resilience. Alfieri noted that Francis had made progress with physical therapy after his hospital stay. When Alfieri visited him on Saturday, two days before his passing, the Pope appeared in good spirits. \u201cI found him in good shape,\u201d the doctor said. \u201cI didn\u2019t think it would be the last meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-5\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1511\" data-end=\"2267\">But in retrospect, Alfieri now believes that Pope Francis, sensing the end was near, was determined to complete a series of acts before his final moments. One of them was a surprise Easter appearance in St. Peter\u2019s Square, where he rode through a crowd of 50,000 worshippers, blessing children and connecting with the faithful. Another was the invitation he extended to his Gemelli Hospital healthcare team, bringing them to the Vatican just before Easter\u2014a gesture against medical advice, but deeply meaningful to him. \u201cI have the clear sensation now that there were a series of things he felt he had to do before dying,\u201d Alfieri shared with <em data-start=\"2154\" data-end=\"2175\">Corriere della Sera<\/em>. \u201cHe wanted to return home to be pope until the last instant, and he didn\u2019t disappoint us.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\"><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" class=\"lazyloaded\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=newsner&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1914599968242860064&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fen.newsner.com%2Fnews%2Fdoctor-details-pope-francis-tragic-final-hours%2F&amp;sessionId=bb90a8a67dcc5d3202a3499dfd6bc1ed9215f069&amp;siteScreenName=newsner&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-tweet-id=\"1914599968242860064\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-rocket-lazyload=\"fitvidscompatible\" data-origwidth=\"\" data-origheight=\"\" data-ll-status=\"loaded\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2269\" data-end=\"2793\">On the morning of April 21, around 5:30 a.m., the Pope\u2019s health assistant, Massimiliano Strappetti, noticed something was wrong and urgently called Alfieri. The doctor arrived within 20 minutes. \u201cI went into his room, and he had his eyes open,\u201d Alfieri recalled. There were no immediate signs of respiratory distress, but when he called out to him, Francis did not respond. \u201cHe also did not respond to stimuli, even painful ones,\u201d Alfieri added. \u201cIn that moment, I understood there was nothing more to do. He was in a coma.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2795\" data-end=\"3128\">Given the severity of the situation, it was quickly decided that transporting the Pope back to Gemelli Hospital was too risky. Alfieri said plainly, \u201cHe would have died on the way.\u201d Within two hours, Pope Francis suffered cardiac arrest following a cerebral stroke. \u201cHe died without suffering, at home,\u201d Alfieri told <em data-start=\"3112\" data-end=\"3127\">La Repubblica<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"3130\" data-end=\"3359\">After his passing, the papal household staff gathered quietly in his room while Cardinal Pietro Parolin led a rosary over his body. Dr. Alfieri stayed by his side, offering a final farewell. \u201cI gave him a caress,\u201d he said simply.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"3361\" data-end=\"3616\">Before slipping into a coma, Vatican News later reported, Pope Francis raised his hand from his bed at Casa Santa Marta in a final, gentle gesture of farewell to Strappetti, the aide who had been with him through countless hospitalizations and recoveries.<\/p>\n<div class=\"google-auto-placed ap_container\"><ins class=\"adsbygoogle adsbygoogle-noablate\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8932760345406231\" data-adsbygoogle-status=\"done\" data-ad-status=\"unfilled\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"aswift_3_host\"><\/div>\n<p><\/ins><\/div>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"3618\" data-end=\"3928\">The death of Pope Francis closes a remarkable chapter defined by humility, reform, and a deep, unwavering commitment to the people he served. His last weeks were a testament not only to his faith but to his humanity, reminding the world that even the greatest spiritual leaders meet their end with quiet grace.<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"pvc_stats_1711\" class=\"pvc_stats total_only  \" data-element-id=\"1711\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-prefix=\"far\" data-icon=\"chart-bar\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" class=\"svg-inline--fa fa-chart-bar fa-w-16 fa-2x\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M396.8 352h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V108.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v230.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm-192 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V140.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v198.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm96 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V204.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v134.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zM496 400H48V80c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16H16C7.16 64 0 71.16 0 80v336c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h464c8.84 0 16-7.16 16-16v-16c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16zm-387.2-48h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8v-70.4c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v70.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8z\" class=\"\"><\/path><\/svg><\/i> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif\" border=0 \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At the center of the Pope\u2019s medical journey was Dr. Sergio Alfieri, who had been a trusted figure since 2021, when he operated on Francis for diverticulitis. Their relationship had grown close, built on trust, humor, and the Pope\u2019s gentle defiance. Alfieri recalled how Francis, despite stern medical advice, loved sneaking down to the kitchen&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link-wrap\"><a href=\"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/?p=1711\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &ldquo;&rdquo;<\/span> &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"pvc_stats_1711\" class=\"pvc_stats total_only  \" data-element-id=\"1711\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-prefix=\"far\" data-icon=\"chart-bar\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" class=\"svg-inline--fa fa-chart-bar fa-w-16 fa-2x\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M396.8 352h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V108.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v230.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm-192 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V140.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v198.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm96 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V204.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v134.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zM496 400H48V80c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16H16C7.16 64 0 71.16 0 80v336c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h464c8.84 0 16-7.16 16-16v-16c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16zm-387.2-48h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8v-70.4c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v70.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8z\" class=\"\"><\/path><\/svg><\/i> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif\" border=0 \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1711","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":57,"today_views":0},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1711","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1711"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1711\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1712,"href":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1711\/revisions\/1712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1711"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1711"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1711"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}