(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 04.22.2025).- April 21, Pope Francis slipped quietly from this world—his departure marked not by spectacle, but by the same humility and human closeness that defined his pontificate. At 7:35 a.m., the Vatican confirmed his passing, just hours after he had shown signs of discomfort. Yet even in his final day, the Pope was not resting behind closed doors. He was where he most wanted to be: among the people.
The day before his death was Easter Sunday, and though visibly weakened from recent illness, Francis stood once again on the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica to deliver the Urbi et Orbi blessing. It was an act of faith and endurance—his voice still strong with conviction as he addressed the city and the world. But it was not the final surprise of the day.
In an unannounced gesture that now takes on the tone of farewell, Francis asked to ride one last time in the popemobile. “Do you think I can do it?” he asked his personal nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti. Strappetti encouraged him. Moments later, Francis, frail but smiling, was circling St. Peter’s Square.
Returning to Casa Santa Marta, the Pope rested and shared a simple evening meal. Nothing in those hours suggested how close the end truly was. But at dawn the next day, around 5:30 a.m., his condition worsened. Surrounded by those who had accompanied him throughout his illness—chief among them Strappetti—he made a final gesture of farewell, lifting his hand slightly from the bed. Then, peacefully and without suffering, he entered into a coma. Not long after, he passed.
Those who were with him describe the moment not as dramatic or tragic, but deeply serene. A quiet end for a pope who had chosen simplicity from the moment he stepped onto the balcony in 2013 and introduced himself with a humble “Buona sera.”
“Thank you for bringing me back to the Square,” he told Strappetti. It was more than gratitude for a physical return to a place. It was a recognition of something deeper—the heart of Francis’ mission: to walk with the people, touch their wounds, and meet them where they are. His papacy was never one of distance or protocol, but of proximity.
Throughout his final months, Strappetti had become not only a caregiver but a trusted companion—present through surgeries, recovery, and fatigue. It was he who had once advised the Pope to undergo the colon surgery that prolonged his life. Later, he was appointed personal healthcare assistant, a role he carried with tireless devotion. His presence at the Pope’s bedside in the last hours was no accident—it was the fruit of years of care and silent companionship.
Francis’ death, just a day after Easter, has been seen by many as symbolically fitting. The resurrection he had preached only hours before now became the hope to which he entrusted his soul.
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