Pope Francis' Telling Last Words Revealed
Pope Francis died on April 21 at the age of 88 after suffering a stroke. As funeral plans are underway, new details about his final moments are being released by the Vatican.
According to the Vatican's press office, Pope Francis had a quiet evening before he died. Among his last words were "thank you," which he told to his personal healthcare assistant, Massimiliano Strappetti. Per the press office, Pope Francis was grateful to Strappetti "for encouraging him to take one last ride in the popemobile on Sunday after the Urbi et Orbi."
Strappetti had been by the pope's side for years. In 2022, Pope Francis named him "his personal healthcare assistant."
Other details about Pope Francis' final hours have also been released.
"Around 5:30 AM, the first signs of the sudden illness appeared, prompting an immediate response from those keeping watch over him. Around an hour later, after making a gesture of farewell with his hand to Mr. Strappetti, lying in bed in his second-floor apartment at the Casa Santa Marta, the Pope fell into a coma," the Vatican's press office reports.
The office also noted that the pope passed peacefully: "He did not suffer."
Francis' health had been ailing in the months leading up to his death. Earlier this year, he spent 38 days in the hospital battling double pneumonia.
Francis' funeral will take place on April 26 at 10 a.m. local time in St. Peter’s Square, according to the Associated Press. He will be buried at St. Mary Major basilica, per his own wishes.
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