Seconds before he slipped into a coma, Pope Francis raised his frail hand from the bed he lay dying and made a loving “gesture of farewell” to his trusted nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti. Only one hour later, the pontiff died, shattering millions of hearts around the world.

Less than one month ago, when Pope Francis was battling double pneumonia, his nurse Massimiliano Strappetti “watched over him tirelessly throughout his illness,” never leaving his side “during all 38 days of his hospitalization at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital,” according to the Vatican News, the Holy See’s media outlet.

Strappetti kept “watch round-the-clock during his recovery at the Casa Santa Marta,” and he was also with the Argentine Pontiff, who made a surprise Popemobile tour through the Piazza, waving at the 50,000 worshippers who gathered at St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday.

The Vatican explains that the “Pope wanted to offer one last, meaningful surprise,” but given his weakness, there was some hesitation.

Do you think I can manage it?” he asked looking for reassurance from Strappetti, who was appointed in 2022 as his personal healthcare assistant.