Pope Francis was so near death that medical professionals thought about stopping his care

During his 38-day hospital stay for pneumonia, Pope Francis came so near to death that his physicians thought about stopping his treatment so he could pass away peacefully, according to the leader of the pope’s medical staff.

Francis almost choked on his vomit during a respiratory crisis on February 28. “There was a real risk he might not make it,” said Sergio Alfieri, a doctor at Rome’s Gemelli hospital.

“We had to choose if we would stop there and let him go, or to go forward and push it with all the drugs and therapies possible, running the highest risk of damaging his other organs,” Alfieri stated, opening a new tab. An interview with Italy’s Corriere della Sera was released on Tuesday.

His words, “In the end, we took this path,”

On Sunday, Francis, 88, returned to the Vatican following the most severe health crisis in his 12-year tenure as pope.

On February 14, he was brought to Gemelli Hospital after suffering from a case of bronchitis that progressed to double pneumonia. This was a particularly dangerous condition for him because he experienced pleurisy as a young adult and had one lung removed.

Throughout the pope’s hospital stay, the Vatican gave remarkably detailed daily reports on his health, including four “respiratory crises” featuring severe coughing fits brought on by airway constriction, similar to an asthma attack.

Alfieri had earlier stated that Francis was “in danger of his life” due to two of the crises. The doctor added in the new interview that the pope’s personal nurse told the medical staff to continue treatment following the vomiting event.

According to Alfieri, the pope’s nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti, sent the message, “Try everything; don’t give up.”

“For days, we were risking damage to his kidneys and bone marrow, but we went ahead, and his body responded to the drugs and his lung infection lessened,” Alfieri added.

After he left the hospital, Francis was advised to rest for an additional two months in order to recover completely. How much he will be seen in public over the next few weeks has not been disclosed.

“The moment of the pope’s treatment that struck me the most,” Alfieri recalled, recalling Francis’ Sunday visit on a hospital balcony to welcome well-wishers, the pope’s first public appearance since entering the hospital.

“I saw him leave the room on the 10th floor of the Gemelli dressed in white,” the physician replied. “It was the emotion of seeing the man become again the pope.”