Pope Francis was in such a critical condition as he battled pneumonia in both lungs that his doctors considered letting him die, the head of his medical team has revealed.
The Pope was conscious throughout his five-week hospitalisation in Rome and was fully aware that he could die, said Dr Sergio Alfieri.
The worst moment of the 88-year-old pontiff’s ordeal came on February 28, when his condition worsened dramatically and he struggled to breathe.
Doctors were faced with making a decision to let him die in peace or use all the resources at their disposal to try to keep him alive.
“We had to choose if we would stop there and let him go, or go forward and push it with all the drugs and therapies possible, running the very high risk of damaging his other organs,” Dr Alfieri told Corriere della Sera, an Italian newspaper, on Tuesday. “In the end, we took this path.”
“For days, we risked causing damage to his kidneys and bone marrow, but we went ahead, and his body responded to the drugs and his lung infection lessened. For the first time, I saw tears in the eyes of the people around him,” said the doctor, from Gemelli Hospital in Rome. “We were all aware that the situation had worsened and there was the risk that he might not make it.”
Asked whether the Pope knew that he might die during the 38 days he spent in hospital, Dr Alfieri replied: “Yes, because he was always conscious… even when his condition worsened. That evening was dreadful. He knew, as we did, that he might not have lasted the night. We saw a man who was suffering.”
Another critical episode happened when the Pope inhaled his own vomit.
“While he was eating the Pope regurgitated some food and inhaled it. It was the second really critical moment because in cases like that you risk sudden death. It was awful, we really thought he wouldn’t make it,” the doctor said.
The Pope insisted throughout his ordeal that his medical team divulge the full extent of his condition – hence the unusually frank, detailed briefings that the Vatican gave to journalists every evening.
‘Respiratory crises’
Pope Francis was admitted to the hospital suffering from bronchitis on February 14, but within days it had developed into double pneumonia.
He suffered four “respiratory crises” in which he struggled to breath, raising fears around the world that his death was imminent.
Two of the breathing crises were potentially critical, putting the Pope “in danger of his life”, doctors said.
But the Pope eventually pulled through and was released from hospital on Sunday.
He returned to his suite of rooms in the Casa Santa Marta, a residence for visiting clerics within the walls of the Vatican.
Doctors say he will need to convalesce for at least two months.
‘Plan B for Easter’
It is not clear how many public engagements he will be able to participate in as the Catholic Church approaches the busy Easter period.
Easter Holy Week starts with Palm Sunday on April 13 and culminates with Easter Sunday on April 20. If he is not well enough, his duties will be delegated to senior cardinals in what one Italian newspaper dubbed “Plan B for Easter”.
Doctors have told him that he must avoid contact with large groups of people because of the danger of catching a new infection. The Vatican has not yet said whether he will be well enough to meet King Charles and Queen Camilla during their state visit to the Vatican and Italy early next month. But, Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, offered some hope that the encounter will take place.
“I hope that he will at least be able to greet them,” he said.
The Pope retained his dry sense of humour throughout his time in hospital, medics said. As soon as he began to feel better, he demanded to leave his room and be wheeled around the other wards of the hospital in a wheelchair.
He also arranged a gesture of thanks for the medical team who saved his life. “He gave some money to one of his assistants and offered pizza to all those who had helped him in those days,” said Dr Alfieri. “Then one morning he said: ‘I’m still alive – when can I go home?’”
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