Pope Francis attends funeral of his personal doctor

By Vatican News staff writer

Pope Francis on Tuesday attended the funeral of his personal doctor, Fabrizio Soccorsi, who died of Covid-related causes on 9 January.

A statement released by the Holy See Press Office said that during the afternoon, the Holy Father went to the Church of Santa Maria Regina della Famiglia in the Vatican’s Governorate, to attend the funeral of Professor Soccorsi. The funeral Mass was celebrated by his Eminence Cardinal Parolin.

78-year old Doctor Fabrizio Soccorsi, died of complications caused by Covid-19.

He had been admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on 26 December because of cancer, but died because of “pulmonary complications” caused by the new coronavirus.

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 Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

During his years of medical service, 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.