The head of the medical team who attended Pope Francis, Dr. Sergio Alfieri, revealed Thursday details of the last moments of life of the High pontiffdeceased last Monday at 88.
According to the doctor, the Pope died on the morning of April 21 at the Vatican Residence of Casa Santa Marta, fulfilling his desire to die at home and without invasive medical interventions.
Alfieri, a doctor at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome where the Pope was treated, said he had entered the pontiff’s room and saw him open, he said EFE.
“I did not respond to the stimuli, not even the painful ones. At that time I realized that I could not do anything else. I was in a coma,” the doctor revealed.
Alfieri confirmed that the decision not to transfer him to the hospital was taken respecting the desire expressly manifested by the Pope.
“I always said that I wanted to die at home. We knew that any hospitalization would have been useless and could involve larger risks, ”he explained.
The Pope’s Personal Assistant, Massimiliano Strappetti, whom the Pontiff considered as a son, was the one who watched over the fulfillment of this will.
Strappetti also followed the guideline Avoid any form of therapeutic teaching.
“The Pope wanted to die at home”
Alfieri stressed that during the last hospitalization of the Pope Francis, he requested that in no case be intubated.
According to the doctor, this process “would have helped him breathe, but it would have been difficult to go back and extend him with infected virus lungs.”
The doctor recalled that this Monday at 5:30 in the morning he received a call from Strappetti, in which he told him that they should return to the hospital because the Holy Father was very sick.
“I notice all and twenty minutes later I was there in Santa Marta, it seemed difficult to think that an income was necessary,” he added and explained that there was a risk of dying in the transfer.
“I explained that hospitalization would have been useless. Strappetti knew that The Pope wanted to die at home, he always said it When we were in the Gemelli. He died shortly after, ”said Alfieri.
Cause of death of the pontiff
According to the official medical part signed by Andrea Arcangeli, director of Health and Hygiene of the Vatican, The cause of death was a stroke which resulted in a coma and later in cardiocirculatory arrest.
The death occurred at 7:35 am local time (5:35 GMT).
When referring to the cause of death, Alfieri said “It was one of those infarctions that take you in an hourperhaps a plunger began and an occluded a blood vessel of the brain. Maybe there was bleeding. ”
The doctor added that “they are events that can happen to anyone, but the elders are at more risk, especially if they move little,” he said EFE.
Pope Francis will rest in Santa María la Mayor
As for the grave, the Holy See revealed the first details on Thursday and the Official image of the tomb of Pope Francis, who will be buried this Saturday in the Basilica of Santa María la Mayoras he himself ordered in his will.
True to his austere style, the Pontiff asked for a simple grave, at ground level and without special ornaments.
The tombstone will only carry the registration “Franciscus”its pontifical name in Latin.
Next to her, a reproduction of her pectoral cross in silver will be displayed, with the image of the good shepherd, central symbol of her ministry, she said Vatican News.
The Holy See has revealed how the Pope’s tomb will be: a Ligur marble slab with the inscription “Franciscus” and a reproduction of its pectoral cross. The grave is located in a niche of the side nave, between the Paulina chapel and the Sforza chapel, in the Basilica of Santa … pic.twitter.com/lc4kuqvszr
– News Vatican (@News_Vaticano) April 24, 2025
The grave is in the left ship of the templebetween the Paolina chapel – which houses the venerated Marian image of the Salus Populi Romani – and the tomb of the Sforza family.
Is located near the altar dedicated to San Francisco de Asísholy of which Jorge Mario Bergoglio He took his name by assuming the pontificate in 2013.
The choice of this place was not accidental, and Francisco maintained a strong spiritual bond with this Roman basilica since before being potato.
During his pontificate he visited her frequently before and after each apostolic trip to entrust himself to the Virgin, “protector of the Roman people.”
Thousands of faithful give the last goodbye to Pope Francis in the Vatican (+Video)
Last goodbye and funeral of Pope Francis
The Pontiff’s body is exposed in the Basilica of San Pedro, where Thousands of faithful have been able to say goodbye even during the night.
Before the large influx of people, The Vatican decided to keep the basilica open after midnight this Thursday.
During this day thousands of people continue to arrive in San Pedro to say goodbye to the Pope.
On Friday afternoon the coffin will close.
After The funeral of Saturday morning —At that leaders from all over the world will attend, including US President Donald Trump, “the funeral courtship will cross the streets of Rome towards her final destination.”
The public will be able to visit Francisco’s tomb from the morning of April 27, as reported by the Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni.
The Holy See also confirmed that the expenses of the grave will be assumed by an anonymous benefactor, found by the Pope in life, thus fulfilling the desire of the pontiff that not even his burial implied expenses for the Church.
Who will happen to Francisco? Some papables with a view to the conclave
