VATICAN CITY. Pope Francis’s medical team briefly contemplated halting treatment after a critical breathing crisis on February 28 but ultimately opted for an aggressive intervention despite the risks to his organs, according to Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the lead physician overseeing his hospital care.
Speaking to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera on Tuesday, Alfieri revealed that the 88-year-old pontiff and those close to him had prepared for the worst after he suffered a severe bronchospasm, during which he inhaled vomit.
“We needed to choose whether to stop and let him go, or to push it and attempt with all of the possible drugs and the treatments, taking the very high risk of damaging other organs,” Alfieri explained. “In the end, that is the path we chose.”
A Near-Fatal Night
Francis was reportedly aware of the gravity of his condition throughout the ordeal. His personal health care assistant, Massimiliano Strappetti, who has an intimate knowledge of the pope’s medical preferences, urged the doctors: “Try everything. Don’t give up.”
The Vatican’s official medical bulletin that night described the bronchospasm as so severe that the pope inhaled vomit, further complicating his respiratory function. Doctors performed a non-invasive aspiration procedure to clear his airways.
A Second Life-Threatening Episode
Just three days later, the pope faced another critical moment when he suffered two acute bronchospasm episodes. Physicians used an endoscopic procedure to remove mucus plugs, which had accumulated in his lungs. The Vatican’s statement emphasized that Francis “always remained alert, oriented, and collaborative” throughout both emergencies.
Alfieri admitted that the aggressive treatment approach put Francis’ kidneys and bone marrow at risk. “But we continued, and his body responded to the treatments, and the lung infection improved,” he said.
The Road to Recovery
After 38 days of hospitalization, Pope Francis was discharged on Sunday under strict medical orders to observe two months of convalescence and avoid large gatherings.
The Vatican has not confirmed whether the pope will participate in Holy Week events leading up to Easter on April 20. His scheduled meeting with King Charles III next month has also been postponed by mutual agreement to allow the pontiff more time to recover.
‘A Miracle’?
Despite the dire circumstances, Pope Francis’ recovery has been hailed as extraordinary. Alfieri suggested that the power of prayer may have played a role in his survival.
“In this case, the whole world was praying. I can say that twice the situation was lost, and then it happened like a miracle,” he remarked. “Of course, he was also a very cooperative patient.”
As the pontiff continues his recovery, the world watches to see whether he will be strong enough to resume his public engagements in the coming months.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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