Doctor details Pope Francis' heartbreaking final moments before death aged 88

Pope Francis’s doctor found the pontiff with his eyes open and breathing normally, but unresponsive when he was called to the Vatican on Monday (April 21), the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reports.

Pope Francis, whose real name was Jorge Mario Bergoglio, had experienced ill health in the months leading up to his passing at the age of 88.

The Holy Father at the head of the Roman Catholic Church was rushed to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital back in February after suffering a respiratory infection, chronic bronchitis, which developed into pneumonia in both lungs, and a mild kidney failure.

The Vatican confirmed his passing earlier this week.

Dr Sergio Alfieri co-ordinated Francis’s five-week hospital treatment and even oversaw the pope’s treatment after the pontiff returned to the Vatican on March 23 for two months of rest to allow a full recovery.

The pope was 88 (Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

Dr Alfieri was alerted at 5.30am on Monday (April 21) by Francis’s health care assistant, Massimiliano Strappetti, that the pope was sick and needed hospital treatment.

The doctor told Corriere that he arrived 20 minutes later.

“I went into his room, and he had his eyes open. I noted that he did not have respiratory issues, so I tried to call him but he did not respond,” Dr Alfieri was quoted as saying. “He also did not respond to stimuli, even painful ones.

“In that moment, I understood there was nothing more to do. He was in a coma.”

Dr Alfieri said it was too risky moving Francis back to the Gemelli hospital, where he was treated for a complex respiratory infection that nearly killed him twice.

“The pope wanted to die at home, he always said it while he was at Gemelli,” Dr Alfieri said.

The pope died two hours after suffering a stroke.

Pope Francis died earlier this week (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

Cardinal Pietro Parolin arrived and said the rosary over the body, accompanied by the papal household staff, Dr Alfieri told the Milan daily.

“I gave him a caress, as a farewell,” the doctor said.

Vatican News has reported that the pope managed a gesture of farewell to Mr Strappetti after falling ill, and that people with him at the time said he did not appear to suffer.

Francis will be buried on Saturday (April 26) in a state funeral that will be broadcast across the globe.

Pope Francis had requested that his tombstone doesn’t mention that he served as the leader of the Catholic Church for 12 years, unlike others that have held papacy.