The Head of Pope Francis' medical team, Dr Sergio Alfieri, has narrated the pontiff's last moments before his demise on Monday, April 21.
Speaking during an interview with La Repubblica, an Italian media outlet, Alfieri recalled Pope's final regret. According to the doctor, Francis regretted not washing the feet of prisoners.
Alfieri noted that while the Pope was happy to have visited the prisoners on April 17, he wished he had been able to perform a foot-washing ritual for the Church's celebration of Holy Thursday.
"He regretted that he could not wash the feet of the prisoners. This time I couldn't do it' was the last thing he said to me," Alfieri told the media outlet.
According to Alfieri, who oversaw the Pope's treatment of pneumonia earlier this year, disclosed that the pontiff passed away without much suffering, but stated that immediate medical attention could not have saved the situation.
The doctor recalled receiving an urgent call at around 5.30 am on Monday, during which he was directed to visit the Pope's premises at the Vatican. He arrived 20 minutes later and found the Pope conscious but unresponsive.
Alfieri revealed that when he entered the Pope's room, the pontiff's eyes suddenly opened. He then went ahead to assess the Pope's health to ensure he had no respiratory problems.
"I ascertained that there were no respiratory problems. And then I tried to call his name, but he did not respond to me. In that moment, I knew there was nothing more to do. He was in a coma," Alfieri told a separate publication, Corriere della Sera.
In the interview, the Pope's doctor revealed that some of the officials inside the Pope's room suggested that he be taken back to the hospital for treatment.
After deliberations, the officials concluded that further efforts to rush Pope Francis to the hospital could prove futile since he could have probably passed away on the way.
"Doing a CT scan, we would have had a more exact diagnosis, but nothing more. It was one of those strokes that, in an hour, carries you away," the doctor noted.
According to Alfieri, despite the illness, Pope Francis listened to his doctors' advice and did not push himself too hard.
