Pope Francis came close to death during his recent hospitalization due to double pneumonia, according to the head of his medical team. Dr. Sergio Alfieri of Rome’s Gemelli Hospital revealed that following a severe breathing crisis on February 28 — when the 88-year-old pontiff nearly choked — doctors debated whether to end aggressive treatment and let him pass peacefully.
“There was a real risk he might not survive,” Alfieri told Corriere della Sera. “We had to decide whether to stop or continue with intensive treatment, knowing it could harm other organs.”
Francis, who previously had part of a lung removed in his youth, was hospitalized for 38 days in what has been the most serious health scare of his papacy, which began in 2013. He was first admitted on February 14 for bronchitis, which later developed into double pneumonia.
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