The medical staff looking after Pope Francis considered stopping his treatment so he could die, according to the lead doctor, while the 88-year-old pontiff was hospitalized with a drawn-out respiratory illness.

Pope Francis came close to dying, a doctor involved in his treatment has revealed. The 88-year-old told hospital staff “it’s bad” as they battled to save his life. Pope Francis was discharged from hospital last Sunday,

"There was a real risk he might not make it," admitted Professor Sergio Alfieri from the Gemelli Polyclinic. In an interview with "Corriere della Sera," he described the dramatic moments faced by the medical team.