Pope Francis’ medical team head has revealed the shocking details of the time when doctors lost hope about the pontiff’s life.
According to The Guardian, days after the pope was discharged from the hospital, a doctor from the Gemelli hospital disclosed that during the hospitalisation, there came a time when doctors had to choose whether “to let him go (die), or push forward.”
Related: King Charles delays Vatican trip due to Pope Francis’ health concerns
Sergio Alfieri, a general surgeon at the hospital in Rome, in an interview with Corriere della Sera published on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, said, “We were all aware that the situation had further worsened and there was a risk that he would not make it.”
“We had to choose whether to stop (treatment) and let him go or push forward and try (to save him) with all the drugs and therapies possible, running the very high risk of damaging other organs. In the end, we took this path,” he added.
At that moment the personal nurse of the pope, Massimiliano Strappetti, instructed the team to continue the treatment and told them to “try everything, don’t give up.”
Alfieri also revealed that the 88-year-old was fully aware of his health, and from day one, he has asked doctors to tell him “the truth” about his condition.
For the unversed, after more than five weeks of hospitalisation, Francis, who has been receiving treatment for pneumonia in both lungs, was discharged on Sunday, March 23, 2025, after overcoming the respiratory issue.
Related: Pope Francis discharged from hospital after weeks of treatment
