Pope Francis' doctors considered ending treatment, said 'there was a real risk he might not make it': report

Doctors taking attraction of Pope Francis considered ending their attraction astatine 1 point as determination "was a hazard that helium would not marque it," a study said. 

Gemelli Hospital aesculapian manager Dr. Sergio Alfieri recounted the scenes connected Feb. 28 erstwhile the 88-year-old suffered a coughing acceptable and inhaled vomit, prompting unit to person to aspirate to wide his airways and aboriginal enactment connected a non-invasive mechanical ventilation disguise to assistance him breathe.

"For the archetypal clip I saw tears successful the eyes of immoderate of the radical astir him. People who, I understood during this play of hospitalization, sincerely emotion him, similar a father. We were each alert that the concern had worsened further and determination was a hazard that helium would not marque it," Alfieri told the Corriere della Sera paper successful an interrogation published Tuesday. 

"We had to take whether to halt and fto him spell oregon unit it and effort with each the drugs and therapies possible, moving the precise precocious hazard of damaging different organs. And successful the extremity we took this path," helium reportedly added. 

POPE FRANCIS MAKES FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE IN FIVE WEEKS 

Pope Francis appears astatine a model of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic successful Rome, connected Sunday, March 23, 2025, wherever helium had been treated for bronchitis and bilateral pneumonia since Feb. 14. (AP/Riccardo De Luca)

The Vatican did not instantly respond Tuesday to a petition for remark by Fox News Digital. 

Alfieri said to the paper that Francis "delegated each benignant of healthcare determination to Massimiliano Strappetti, his idiosyncratic healthcare adjunct who knows the Pope's wishes perfectly." 

"Try everything, we won't springiness up," Alfieri recalled Strappetti telling unit astatine the hospital. "That's what we each thought too. And nary 1 gave up". 

MEDICAL STAFF PROVIDES UPDATE ON POPE FRANCIS’ CONDITION 

Luigi Carbone, left, caput doc of the Vatican's Health and Hygiene Office, and surgeon Sergio Alfieri talk to journalists, connected Saturday, March 22, 2025, astatine Rome's Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic. (AP/Gregorio Borgia)

"Even erstwhile [Francis’] information worsened helium was afloat conscious. That evening was terrible, helium knew, similar us, that helium mightiness not past the night," Alfieri besides told Corriere della Sera. "We saw the antheral who was suffering. But from time 1 helium asked america to archer him the information and helium wanted america to archer the information astir his condition." 

Francis yet was discharged from the infirmary successful Rome connected Sunday. 

Pope Francis leaves successful a car aft appearing astatine a model of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic successful Rome, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP/Stefano Costantino)

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A papal spokesperson said Tuesday that Francis is precise blessed to beryllium backmost location and his breathing and question therapy is ongoing.