Pope Francis’ doctor has recounted the pontiff’s final moments in a pair of newspaper interviews, saying the pontiff had his eyes open and was breathing with oxygen, but unresponsive after being stricken by illness early Monday morning. “He died without suffering, at home,” the doctor said.
Dr. Sergio Alfieri coordinated Francis’ five-week hospital treatment for double pneumonia and continued to oversee the pope’s treatment after the pontiff returned to the Vatican on March 23 for two months of rest to allow a full recovery.
Alfieri was alerted at 5:30 a.m. Monday by Francis’ health care assistant, Massimiliano Strappetti, that Francis had been stricken and needed to be taken to the hospital. The doctor told the Milan daily Corriere della Sera that he arrived 20 minutes later.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a Tuesday speech that the ongoing tariffs showdown against China is unsustainable and he expects a “de-escalation” in the trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
But in a private speech in Washington for JPMorgan Chase, Bessent also cautioned that talks between the United States and China had yet to formally start.
Uncertainty over tariffs and an unpredictable trade war is weighing heavily on companies as they report their latest financial results and try to give investors financial forecasts.
Some tariffs remain in place against key U.S. trading partners, but others have been postponed to give nations time to negotiate. The tariff and trade picture has been shifting for months, making it difficult for companies and investors to make a reliable assessment of any impact to costs and sales.
Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 28 people, mostly women and children, the territory’s Health Ministry said Thursday.
Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas and renewed its air and ground war over a month ago. It has sealed off Gaza’s 2 million Palestinians from all food and other imports since the beginning of March to pressure Hamas to release hostages.
Hamas has said it will only release the remaining 59 captives, 24 of whom are believed to be alive, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal. Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas.
Milla Mirkovic can be reached at mirk1654@stthomas.edu.
