Alfieri arrived at Casa Santa Marta early that Monday morning to find the Pontiff unresponsive, his eyes open but still. He had slipped into a coma, surrounded by those who had shared his last years — nurses, secretaries, Cardinal Parolin, and his loyal healthcare assistant, Massimiliano Strappetti. Honoring the Pope’s wish to die at home, they stayed with him until the end.
Alfieri, who first operated on Francis in 2021 and shared countless quiet moments, remembered one deeply personal farewell — a blessing of his hands before surgery. That gesture, like the final wave Francis gave Strappetti just before losing consciousness, spoke volumes. And then, his last whispered words — “Thank you for bringing me back to the Square.” It was a goodbye not just to one man, but to millions who had watched him lead with heart to his very last breath.