Pope Francis’ personal doctor, Fabrizio Soccorsi, has been reported dead as a result of “complications due to Covid,” as per Vatican’s newspaper L’Osservatore Romano.
According to the outlet, Pope Francis chose Soccorsi as a personal doctor in 2015 and was 78 years old when he died.
Soccorsi was hospitalized in Rome on December 26 for a previous oncological disease, according to the Italian Bishop’s Conference newspaper Avvenire. However, it remains unclear exactly when he was last in direct contact with Pope Francis.
In an interview with Italy’s Canale 5 channel that aired on Sunday night, Pope Francis said the Vatican will begin Covid-19 vaccinations next week and he is in also line to take it.
“Ethically, everyone should receive the vaccine,” the pontiff said in a television interview, adding that people who refused to take the vaccine when it was known to be safe possessed “a suicidal denialism”.
The pope has appeared to resist wearing a mask during much of the pandemic, raising health fears. The Vatican amended its mask mandates in October to conform to those in the rest of Italy, requiring them indoors and out.
