FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
A "thank you" for getting me back to the square and a wave to his nurse, always by his side, Massimiliano Strappetti.
These are the last moments of the life of Pope Francis, who died yesterday at the age of 88, Vatican sources say.
Pope Francis' last gesture before his death
Before falling into a coma, the Pope made a final gesture to his nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti. Vatican media, recounting the last hours of the Pope's life, explain that he woke up at 5.30 am on Monday, shortly after which he showed the first signs of illness, with the immediate intervention of those who were guarding him. About an hour later, "after waving to Strappetti, the Pope fell into a coma in his bed at the Santa Marta residence. He did not suffer, everything happened quickly", says someone who was with him in those last moments.
A few hours earlier, Bergoglio had thanked his nurse for the "concessions" she had made. "Thank you for bringing me back to the square," Francis is reported to have said. The reference is to Bergoglio's public appearance on Easter Sunday. Not only did he bless the city and the world, but he also rode around in the popemobile, thus getting closer to the faithful. A gesture that today seems like a final farewell. Bergoglio appreciated the "concessions" made by his staff, hence the "thank you." The Pope, according to what Vatican media reported, initially asked Strappetti: "Do you think I can do it?"
Who is Massimiliano Strappetti, Pope Francis' "shadow" nurse?
Strappetti had been at Bergoglio's side for years. Recently his figure had become known even to the faithful: he was by the Pope's side for all 38 days of hospitalization in the Gemelli Polyclinic and then 34 hours a day during his recovery in the Casa Santa Marta. He was with him when he wanted to see the restoration work in St. Peter's and again when he went to visit the prisoners in Rebibbia and on Easter Sunday.
Before becoming Francis' personal assistant, the nurse - a life spent in the Gemelli hospital ward - was part of the medical team of John Paul II first and Benedict XVI later. "He saved my life," Bergoglio said after his colon surgery in 2021. For him, Strappetti was not just an assistant, but someone he could rely on, trust and listen to. For this reason, he also appointed him "personal health assistant", a role that had never been assigned in the history of a pontificate.
Lini një Përgjigje