Death of Francis: Has the Vatican Lied Again?
On 21 April, the Vatican website published the following claim, signed by Professor Andrea Arcangeli, head of the Vatican Department of Health and Hygiene:
"I certify that His Holiness Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio), born in Buenos Aires (Argentina) on 17 December 1936, resident in Vatican City, Vatican citizen, died on 21 April 2025 at 7.35 in his apartment in the Domus Santa Marta (Vatican City)".
This stated time of death coincides with that given by Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, the Camerlengo, in his message at 9.47 a.m., later repeated by the Director of the Press Office, Matteo Bruni.
It was later reported that "Pope Francis woke up at 6 a.m. and was quite well. At 7am he fell ill. At around 7.30 he died of a stroke," Corriere.it and other propaganda outlets reported, citing Vatican sources.
On 24 April, another version appeared.
Professor Sergio Alfieri, coordinator of the medical team at Gemelli Hospital and Francis' personal surgeon, told Corriere.it:
"On Monday at 5.30am, Massimiliano Strappetti (Francis' nurse) called me: 'The Holy Father is very ill, we have to go back to Gemelli'. I alerted everyone and twenty minutes later I was in Santa Marta, but it seemed difficult to believe that hospitalisation was necessary. I entered his room and his eyes were open. I saw that he had no respiratory problems, so I tried to call him, but he did not respond. He did not respond to any stimuli, not even painful ones. At that moment I realised that there was nothing to be done, he was in a coma".
Alfieri's testimony contradicts the claim that Francis woke up at 6am and was not well. Instead, Bergoglio was in a coma at the time and there was nothing to do but pray.
Alfieri added that Francis died 'shortly afterwards', without specifying the exact time. However, 'shortly afterwards' hardly coincides with the 7.35 a.m. of the official death announcement.
This is how VaticanNews.va (22 April) presented Francis' last moments:
"At about 5:30 a.m., the first signs of the sudden illness appeared, prompting an immediate response from those who watched over him.
About an hour later, after making a farewell gesture with his hand to Mr Strappetti, who was lying in bed in his apartment on the second floor of the Casa Santa Marta, the Pope fell into a coma.
According to those who were with him in his last moments, he did not suffer. Everything happened quickly.
His death was discreet, almost sudden, without long suffering or public alarm, for a Pope who was always very reserved about his health".
Picture: Vatican Media, #newsFgyxotaywp