Pope Francis died quickly and without suffering, his doctor says

Pope Francis' body rests inside his coffin, on the day of the translation of his body, in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Yara Nardi

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis died quickly on Monday morning from an unexpected stroke without suffering undue pain, and there was nothing that doctors could have done to save his life, the head of the pontiff's medical team said in interviews published on Thursday.

Sergio Alfieri, a physician at Rome's Gemelli hospital, oversaw the pope's treatment there during a five-week stay when Francis was fighting double pneumonia earlier this year.