'I went into his room; he had his eyes open: Pope Francis’ final moments recounted by doctor

Rome: Pope Francis’ personal doctor, Dr. Sergio Alfieri, has recounted the pontiff’s final moments in an interview with Corriere della Sera, revealing that the 88-year-old pope was unresponsive but breathing normally when found early Monday morning at the Vatican.

Alfieri, who oversaw the pope’s recovery from a severe bout of double pneumonia earlier this year, was alerted at 5:30 a.m. by the pope’s longtime health aide, Massimiliano Strappetti. He reached the papal residence 20 minutes later.

“I went into his room, and he had his eyes open... I noted that he did not have respiratory issues, so I tried to call him but he did not respond. He also did not respond to stimuli, even painful ones. In that moment I understood there was nothing more to do. He was in a coma,” Alfieri told the Italian daily.

Alfieri explained that transferring the pope back to Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where he had previously been treated, was deemed too risky. “The pope wanted to die at home. He always said that while he was at Gemelli,” he added.

Francis suffered a stroke and passed away two hours later. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, arrived shortly afterward to lead prayers over the pope’s body, joined by members of the papal household. “I gave him a caress, as a farewell,” Alfieri said.

According to Vatican News, Francis reportedly made a final gesture of farewell to Strappetti and did not appear to be in pain during his last moments.

A state funeral is scheduled for Saturday and is expected to be attended by numerous world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.