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Pope Francis’ personal doctor has died of Covid-19 complications

Pope Francis is pictured in a file photo greeting his personal doctor, Fabrizio Soccorsi, who died Jan. 9 of complications caused by COVID-19. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis’ personal doctor died Jan. 9 of complications caused by Covid-19.

Fabrizio Soccorsi, 78, had been admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital Dec. 26 because of cancer, according to the Italian Catholic agency SIR, Jan. 9.

However, he died because of “pulmonary complications” caused by Covid-19, the agency said, without providing further details.
Soccorsi had been the pope’s personal physician since 2015. He had also served as an adviser for the Vatican’s health services department and a consultant-physician to the Vatican Congregation for Saints’ Causes.

He had been head physician of the hepatology ward in Rome’s San Camillo-Forlanini hospital and director of its department of liver diseases, the digestive system and nutrition; he also taught immunology at the municipal and regional medical schools.

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