We Had to Make a Choice: Pope Francis Was Near Death, Medical Team

Pope Francis was so close to death while being treated for pneumonia in the hospital that doctors had to make a choice: let him go or proceed with treatment. This was stated by the head of the Pope's medical team.

Francis spent over five weeks at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he was being treated for pneumonia. During his hospital stay, he experienced four respiratory crises, the most critical of which occurred on February 28.

“We all realized that the situation had worsened, and there was a risk that he would not survive,” said surgeon Sergio Alfieri. “We had to choose whether to discontinue treatment and let him go or go ahead and try to save him with all possible medications and therapies while having a very high risk of damaging other organs. In the end, we chose this path.”

The Pope's personal nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti, was the one who instructed the team to continue treatment, telling them, “Try everything, don’t give up,” according to Alfieri.

Pope Francis was fully aware that he might not survive: “We saw a man who was suffering. But from the very first day, he wanted us to tell him the truth about his condition,” he concluded.