The personal doctor to Pope Francis, Fabrizio Soccorsi has died from complications arising from coid19.
Catholic News Agency quoting the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano, said the 78-year-old physician was also being treated for an oncological disease when he died at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.
The late doctor studied medicine and surgery at La Sapienza University, Rome.
He was nominated by the Pope himself as his personal doctor in August 2015.
This came after the head of the Catholic Church failed to renew the term of Dr Patrizio Polisca who was in charge of the Vatican’s health care services.
The two positions were tied together since the pontificate of Pope John Paul II. Pope Francis separated the positions when he chose Soccorsi from outside the Vatican team.
Until his death, the personal doctor travelled with the Pope on many of his international trips.
Doctor Soccorsi’s daughter died from a protracted illness in May 2017 in Fatima, Portugal, the Pope laid wreaths of white roses before the statue of the Virgin Mary for the deceased child.
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