Pope Francis gave his dependable nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti, a tender “gesture of farewell” just before he fell into a coma. He did this by lifting his weak hand off the bed in which he lay dying. Millions of people worldwide were devastated when the pope passed away just an hour later.

Pope Francis was suffering from double pneumonia less than a month ago, and Vatican News, the Holy See’s news agency, reported that Massimiliano Strappetti, his nurse, “watched over him tirelessly throughout his illness,” never leaving his side “during all 38 days of his hospitalization at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.”

Strappetti was under “round-the-clock watch during his recovery at the Casa Santa Marta.” He was also with the Argentine Pope, who waved to the 50,000 worshippers who gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday during a surprise Popemobile tour across the Piazza.

According to the Vatican, the “Pope wanted to offer one last, meaningful surprise,” although there was some hesitancy because of his fragility.

“Do you think I can manage it?” he asked looking for reassurance from Strappetti, who was appointed in 2022 as his personal healthcare assistant.

Greets crowds

And even though he looked tired and worn out, the pope spent roughly fifteen minutes embracing the adoring, applauding throng from his open-air popemobile, which was his first ride since leaving the hospital.

While children waved flags and some even started crying at the sight of their spiritual leader, the pontiff, dressed simply in a white coat, greeted bystanders with a kind smile.

Although he did not conduct the mass himself, Pope Francis’ choice to assign Cardinal Angelo Comastri the task demonstrated a leadership quality that is frequently disregarded: the ability to recognize when to take a break and allow others to take the lead. It was a deliberate act of preservation rather than a retreat, demonstrating his profound humility and strategic acumen.

“Thank you.”

Afterwards, the Pope—“tired but content,” Vatican News reports—thanked Strappetti for encouraging his visit at St. Peter’s Square.

“Thank you for bringing me back to the Square,” he told Strappetti.

Following his blessing of thousands in the square, the pope rested in the afternoon and ate a quiet, private meal in the quietness he frequently valued.

But something changed as daybreak drew closer to the Vatican.

Final farewell

The first symptoms of sickness appeared at 5:30 AM. Those keeping watch over him responded quickly and with concern. Something had changed in those holy early hours.

An hour later, just before he went into a coma, Pope Francis, from his bed on the second floor of Casa Santa Marta, gently waved his hand goodbye to Strappetti, his friend and trusty assistant.

Pope Francis passed away at 7:35 a.m., one hour later.

“According to those who were with him in his final moments, he did not suffer. It all happened quickly,” writes the Vatican News. “His was a discreet death, almost sudden, without long suffering or public alarm, for a Pope who was always very reserved about his health.”

Pope Francis taught us how to live kindly and, more recently, how to say goodbye with grace. We keep this in mind as the world grieves.