Doctors admit Pope Francis was close to death and end of treatment was considered

The medical team responsible for Pope Francis has revealed that the pontiff was on the brink of death, and they had considered halting his treatment.

The 88-year-old head of the Vatican spent over five weeks at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he was treated for two cases of pneumonia before being discharged. The pope recently made a public appearance, greeting the crowd.

"We were all aware that the situation had further worsened and there was a risk that he would not make it," said Sergio Alfieri, a general surgeon at Gemelli Hospital, in an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

"We had to choose whether to stop [treatment] and let him go, or push forward and try [to save him] with all the drugs and therapies possible, running the very high risk of damaging other organs. In the end, we took this path," he added.

The surgeon noted that it was Pope Francis' personal nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti, who ultimately decided to instruct the medical team to continue the treatment.

(QG - Source: The Guardian - Picture : © Unsplash)