“He Regretted”: Dr. Sergio Alfieri Reveals the Final Words of Pope Francis Before His Death
Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the personal physician to the late Pope Francis, has offered a poignant account of the pontiff’s final moments, revealing a profound expression of humility and sorrow that marked his last words.
Speaking in an interview with La Repubblica, the esteemed Italian surgeon disclosed that Pope Francis died with a deep sense of regret for not being able to carry out one of the Church’s most meaningful Holy Week traditions.
According to Dr. Alfieri, Pope Francis’ final utterance was a quiet but heartfelt lament over his inability to perform the traditional foot-washing ritual—an act of humility symbolizing service and compassion—customarily observed on Holy Thursday.
Though he had visited inmates at a Roman prison on April 17, just four days before his death, the Pope was physically unable to kneel and wash their feet, a gesture he had consistently prioritized throughout his papacy.
“He regretted that he could not wash the feet of the prisoners,” Dr. Alfieri stated solemnly. “‘This time I couldn’t do it,’ were the last words he said to me.”
This deeply symbolic expression captured the essence of Pope Francis’ life and ministry—a papacy rooted in service to the marginalized, the forgotten, and the incarcerated. His regret in those final hours was not for himself, but for a missed opportunity to extend grace and dignity to others, even as he approached the end of his earthly journey.
Dr. Alfieri, who had been entrusted with the Pope’s care for several years and had most recently treated him for pneumonia, confirmed that the pontiff passed away peacefully and without significant physical distress.
Despite the urgency of the situation, he noted that no medical intervention could have reversed the outcome. The Pope’s passing, according to him, was both sudden and inevitable.
In the early hours of Monday, April 21, at approximately 5:30 a.m., Dr. Alfieri received an urgent call summoning him to the Vatican. He arrived at the Pope’s residence at Santa Marta within twenty minutes. Upon entering the room, he found Pope Francis still conscious, though largely unresponsive.
“When I entered his room, his eyes opened briefly,” Alfieri recounted in a separate interview with Corriere della Sera. “I assessed his condition and found no respiratory distress. However, when I called his name, there was no reply. At that moment, I understood that he had entered a coma.”
In the minutes that followed, members of the papal household and Vatican medical staff discussed the possibility of transporting the Pope to a hospital.
However, after careful consideration, they concluded that any such effort would have been futile. The nature of the medical event—a severe and sudden cerebral incident—meant that even advanced diagnostic tools or urgent transport would not have altered the outcome.
“Conducting a CT scan might have provided a clearer diagnosis, but it would not have changed the reality,” Dr. Alfieri explained. “It was one of those strokes that carries you away within an hour. We would not have reached the hospital in time.”
Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis was known for his discipline in following medical advice. Despite his increasingly frail health in recent months, he remained obedient to his doctors’ guidance and avoided pushing beyond his physical limits. Yet, even in his restraint, his desire to minister to the vulnerable never waned.
On Tuesday, April 22, 2025, the Pope’s body was laid in state at the chapel of Santa Marta, where mourners began to gather in prayer and remembrance. Vatican Media released a photograph of the late Holy Father resting in peace, a powerful image of serenity following a life devoted to compassion, justice, and humility.
Pope Francis’ final regret, as revealed by his physician, underscores the depth of his pastoral heart. In his last words, he bore witness not only to his faith, but to the enduring call of the Gospel: to serve others, even unto the very end.
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“He Regretted”: Dr. Sergio Alfieri Reveals the Final Words of Pope Francis Before His Death
