While millions around the globe grieve the passing of Pope Francis, a powerful new voice has emerged from the silence — his personal doctor.
The man who stood at the Pope’s side during his final hours is now revealing what truly unfolded in those last sacred moments.
A scene he’ll never forget
The man who stood by Pope Francis in his final hour has spoken out — and what he describes is as haunting as it is final.
Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the Pope’s personal physician and head of the team who treated him during his last hospitalization for double pneumonia, has now confirmed what many feared: the end came swiftly and without warning.
In an interview with Corriere della Sera, Alfieri recalled being called urgently to the Vatican at 5:30 a.m. on Easter Monday. He arrived 20 minutes later to a scene he says he’ll never forget.
”I entered his rooms and he [Francis] had his eyes open,” Alfieri said.
At first, there were no obvious signs of distress.
“I ascertained that there were no respiratory problems. And then I tried to call his name, but he did not respond to me.”
The situation quickly grew grave.
“He didn’t respond to stimuli, not even painful ones. In that moment I knew there was nothing more to do. He was in a coma.”
Dr. Alfieri believes the cause of death was a sudden and severe stroke — one so devastating that it allowed no room for intervention.
“One of those strokes that, in an hour, carries you away.”
Wanted to rush the Pope back to the hospital
Now lying in state inside St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis is being mourned by thousands filing past his open casket ahead of Saturday’s funeral. But behind the solemn pageantry, his personal doctor is shedding light on why nothing more could have been done to save him.
Speaking to Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Dr. Sergio Alfieri revealed that some Vatican officials initially considered rushing the Pope back to the hospital — but that option was quickly ruled out.
“He would have died on the way,” Alfieri stated plainly.
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Even if they had gotten him there in time for more tests, Alfieri said the outcome would have remained the same.
Active right up until the end
“Doing a CT scan we would have had a more exact diagnosis, but nothing more. It was one of those strokes that, in an hour, carries you away,” he explained.
Though doctors had advised him to rest after more than a month in the hospital, 88-year-old Pope Francis remained remarkably active right up until the end. Just days before his death, he even held a private meeting with U.S. Senator JD Vance—leading many to wonder if the Pope truly took the warnings to heart.
Still, according to his personal physician, Dr. Sergio Alfieri, Francis did listen—at least to some extent. Speaking to Corriere della Sera, Alfieri said that while the Pope had returned to light duties, he was careful not to push himself too far.
“Going back to work was part of the treatment and he never exposed himself to any danger,” Alfieri explained.
One lingering regret
The last time Alfieri saw the Pope was on Saturday, just two days before his passing. He brought him a pie in one of his favorite flavors. Francis, he said, seemed upbeat.
“I am very well, I have started working again, and I like it,” the Pope told him.
“We knew that he wanted to go home to be Pope up until the last moment,” Alfieri said. “He didn’t let us down.”
But behind the warm smile and familiar routine was one final, quiet heartbreak.
In an interview with La Repubblica, Alfieri revealed that Pope Francis had one lingering regret: not being able to wash the feet of prisoners during a scheduled visit to a Rome jail on April 17 — a Holy Week tradition he deeply cherished.
“He regretted he could not wash the feet of the prisoners,” Alfieri shared.
“This time I couldn’t do it — was the last thing he said to me.”
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