Written By: Prerna Mittra | Updated : April 21, 2025 3:04 PM IST
Did Pope Francis Almost Die? Doctors Make A Shocking Revelation (Photo: Instagram/@franciscus)
Pope Francis health latest news: For more than a month, Pope Francis was in the hospital, getting treated for a respiratory crisis that turned severe, leading to many medical interventions to save the life of the head of the Vatican state, who was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia -- a life-threatening condition for the elderly and those in an immunocompromised state. In a recent revelation following his discharge, doctors confirmed that the 88-year-old was so close to death at one point during his hospital stay that they considered allowing him to 'pass away peacefully' by stopping his treatment. The pontiff spent many weeks in Rome's Agostino Gemelli Hospital, and was discharged Sunday, March 23, 2025. It was on February 14 that the Vatican had first confirmed to journalists that the pope had to be hospitalised following the 'worsening of his bronchitis in recent days'. He continued his treatment in Rome for pneumonia-related complications, skipping many important appearances.
As people prayed outside the hospital for the pontiff's recovery, there were murmurs that he had told some of his close aides that he feared he 'might not make it this time', and that this was the end of his life's journey. Bilateral pneumonia -- also known as double pneumonia -- is a severe type of pneumonia that affects both the lungs. And while pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or even fungi, in double pneumonia, the infection can spread to both the lungs, turning it into a severely-complicated health problem.
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At one point during the treatment, the pope's fragile health caused him to vomit. It was subsequently decided that the 88-year-old, with a long history of health problems, would be put on a non-invasive mechanical ventilation to deal with the breathing crisis, to which he had responded well.
Now that everything is in control and the pope has even returned to his residence in the Vatican and greeted well-wishers from a distance, it has been revealed that his medical team agreed that when he 'almost choked' on his own vomit during the respiratory crisis episode on February 28, there was a 'real risk he might not make it'. Sergio Alfieri, a doctor at Gemelli Hospital, was quoted as telling Reuters.
While the pope is doing all right, doctors will continue to observe his health for at least two months, during which he will be recuperating at home.
According to the BBC, one Dr Alfieri, who was a part of the team treating the leader, stated that he had 'two very critical episodes' over the previous few weeks, which led to doctors thinking that his 'life was in danger'.
