(NEXSTAR) — Shortly before his death, Pope Francis expressed gratitude to his personal healthcare assistant, according to new reporting out of the Vatican.
Francis, 88, died Monday of a stroke that put him into a coma and led to heart failure. He had recently been hospitalized for 38 days for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia.
On Sunday, Francis made his final public appearance with an Easter blessing and a popemobile tour through a cheering crowd in St. Peter’s Square.
While the pope did not preside over the Vatican’s Easter Mass — he had been on a limited workload since his hospitalization — but appeared to deliver the twice-annual blessing and message, the “Urbi et Orbi,” or “to the city and the world.”
He also passed his pre-prepared statement to the master of ceremonies to read. In those remarks, Francis called for a ceasefire in Gaza; advocated for mercy for “the vulnerable, the marginalized, and migrants;” and urged peace in Ukraine, Myanmar, and Congo.
Though he could not be the prominent participant in the Easter Mass as he had in the past, Francis was grateful to be in attendance.
“Thank you for bringing me back to the Square,” Francis told his personal healthcare assistant Massimiliano Strappetti shortly before his death, Vatican News reported. Francis previously credited Strappetti with saving his life after recommending that the pope undergo colon surgery.
Strappetti remained by Francis’ side during his hospitalization and recovery at the Casa Santa Marta, and was with him on Easter Sunday, according to Vatican News.
Francis reportedly rested on Sunday following Easter Mass and “had a quiet dinner.” Early Monday morning, Vatican News says Francis experienced “the first signs of the sudden illness.”
Despite an immediate response, Francis is said to have made “a gesture of farewell with his hand” to Strappetti about an hour later, and then fell into a coma. His death “happened quickly,” and those with him told the Vatican News “he did not suffer.”
Pope Francis now lies in state in St. Peter’s Basilica. His funeral, at St. Peter’s Square, has been set for Saturday.
Per his will, Francis is to be buried in the Saint Mary Major Basilica near an icon of Mary that he held dear, rather than St. Peter’s Cathedral or its crypt alongside previous popes. He called for his tomb to be “in the ground; simple, without particular decoration, and with the sole inscription: Franciscus,” or Latin for Francis.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
