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What we cognize astir Pope Francis' last moments
Vatican City — Pope Francis thanked his idiosyncratic caregiver for encouraging him to greet the crowds successful St Peter's Square connected Easter Sunday, according to the Vatican, which said that these were amongst his past words. The Argentine pontiff, 88, died connected Monday greeting from a stroke and bosom failure, little than a period aft returning location from 5 weeks successful infirmary battling treble pneumonia.
"Thank you for bringing maine backmost to the square," Francis told his nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti, aft what would beryllium his last popemobile ride, according to the Vatican News, the Holy See's media outlet.
"Do you deliberation I tin negociate it?" helium had asked Strappetti earlier the outing, the Vatican said Tuesday.
The medic, successful whom helium had implicit confidence, reassured him.
Francis past spent astir 15 minutes waving astatine the assemblage and blessing babies from his popemobile, flanked by galore bodyguards. He appeared exhausted during the Easter celebrations, but nevertheless greeted the crowd and drove astir St. Peter's Square cheered by thousands of rapt worshippers.
While helium utilized an adjutant to present longer remarks, Francis said to the assemblage successful his ain weakened voice: "Brothers and sisters, Happy Easter!"
"Viva il Papa! [Long unrecorded the pope!]," the assemblage chanted successful response.
There were nary oxygen tubes oregon different aesculapian devices seen arsenic Francis rode successful his open-air popemobile a specified 3 weeks aft helium was discharged from a five-week infirmary enactment for life-threatening treble pneumonia.
The pope past spent Sunday day resting successful his Vatican residence, Casa Santa Marta, and had a peaceful dinner, Vatican News reported.
On Monday, astatine astir 5:30 a.m. section clip (11:30 p.m. EDT Sunday), "the archetypal signs of unwellness appeared," it said.
More than an hr later, Francis waved to Strappetti from his furniture successful what the media tract described arsenic "a motion of farewell" earlier falling into a coma. He was declared dead astatine 7:35 a.m.
"He did not suffer. It each happened quickly," Vatican News said, quoting radical who were with the pontiff successful his last moments. "It was a discreet death, astir sudden, without agelong suffering oregon nationalist alarm, for a pope who had ever been precise reserved astir his health."
Pope Francis' assemblage is seen successful a coffin successful the chapel of the Santa Marta residence astatine the Vatican, wherever the precocious pontiff resided and past died astatine the property of 88, connected April 21, 2025.
Handout/Vatican News service
In the past, Francis credited Strappetti with erstwhile having redeeming his beingness for persuading him to acquisition country for an inflammation successful his intestine.
The College of Cardinals announced Tuesday that Pope Francis' ceremonial volition beryllium held connected Saturday astatine 10 a.m. section clip (4 a.m. EDT) astatine St. Peter's Basilica.
Plans volition beryllium made for a conclave to statesman wrong a fewer weeks for the cardinals to take the adjacent pope.
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