Mar 25, 2025 - World

Pope Francis' doctor says medical team considered ending treatment

Ivana Saric

Pope Francis appears on his balcony to speak to the crowds at the Gemelli hospital, the first time he has appeared in public since being admitted to hospital on March 23, 2025 in Rome — Pope Francis appears on his balcony at the Gemelli hospital on March 23 in Rome. Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Pope Francis' condition during his recent hospitalization was so grave that doctors considered ending his treatment, his lead doctor said in an interview published Tuesday.

Why it matters: Francis' five-week-long hospital stay sparked fears of a possible papal resignation. Since returning to the Vatican last week, he has been prescribed two months of rest and recovery.

Driving the news: "There was a risk that he might not make it," Sergio Alfieri, a physician at Rome's Gemelli hospital, told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, recalling a moment after Francis had experienced breathing difficulties about two weeks into his hospital stay.

The medical team, he said, "had to choose whether to stop and let him go or force it and try with all the drugs and therapies possible, running the very high risk of damaging other organs."
"In the end, we took this path," Alfieri said, adding that "no one gave up."

The big picture: Francis was admitted to Rome's Agostino Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14 after experiencing bronchitis symptoms and was ultimately diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs.

The Vatican provided regular updates about his condition throughout his hospitalization.

Go deeper: Pope Francis is back home: Here's what his recovery will entail

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Pope Francis' doctor says medical team considered ending treatment

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