Pope Francis’s busy schedule could’ve ‘added stress’ to his weakened system

Pope Francis insisted on keeping a vigorous schedule until his death Monday, something that could have contributed to it.
Francis suffered a major health scare beginning in February: He was admitted to the hospital on Feb. 14 after feeling ill with bronchitis. He spent 28 days in the hospital after being diagnosed with pneumonia, making a seemingly miraculous recovery after coming within inches of death. His doctors ordered him to rest for a few months in his residence at the Casa Santa Marta so he could recover, orders the Pope rejected, according to the New York Times. The day before his death, he visited the public at the Easter celebration at St. Peter’s Square and met with Vice President JD Vance.
Medical experts told the Washington Examiner that his decision to adopt a busy schedule may have directly contributed to his sudden death.
An Indian Catholic nun touches a portrait of Pope Francis after a prayer meeting on Monday, April 21, 2025, in Kochi, India, following the announcement of his death by the Vatican. (AP Photo/R S Iyer)
Dr. Zaid Fadul, a board-certified physician in family medicine, occupational health, and aerospace medicine, said the pontiff’s activity levels in defiance of orders to rest raise “legitimate clinical concerns.”
“At 88 years old and with a history of respiratory and mobility issues, Pope Francis’s body would have had diminished physiologic reserve, meaning less ability to bounce back from stress, illness, or physical exertion,” Fadul said.
“When a physician instructs a patient to rest, particularly an elderly one, it’s typically due to signs of systemic strain, whether cardiovascular, respiratory, or neurological,” Fadul added. “Ignoring such guidance can increase the risk of complications, including cardiac events, falls, or other forms of decompensation.”
Fadul pointed out that leaders in positions of prominence pushing through out of a sense of duty are not uncommon, but at Francis’s age, it was particularly deadly in his case.
“Unfortunately, in someone of advanced age, that can accelerate the decline,” Fadul concluded. “While we can’t say definitively whether this contributed to Pope Francis’s passing, continuing public engagements under physical duress could certainly have added stress to an already compromised system.”
Dr. Carole Lieberman praised the pope’s commitment to his work in a statement to the Washington Examiner, speculating that he could have known his end was near when exerting himself.
“Pope Francis was extremely active, after being discharged from a nearly-fatal hospitalization for respiratory problems, because he knew the clock was ticking, and he wanted to do as much of ‘God’s work’ as he could before he died,” she said.
Lieberman pointed to his Easter ride through St. Peter’s Square as particularly risky.
“Doctors did tell him to rest and certainly would have disapproved of his Easter Sunday ride through St. Peter’s Square, in an open car,” she said. “The Pope had to know that this was dangerous. Not only was he risking catching disease in his immunocompromised state, he was risking a cardiovascular event because of the strain that the difficult voyage put on him – and indeed, he died of a stroke.”
Lieberman said she believes the timing of the pope’s death, just hours after the conclusion of the holiest day in the Christian calendar, was no coincidence, showcasing the phenomenon of people holding on to life until an important milestone.
“Pope Francis’ death – just hours after Easter – is a striking example of how people can (unconsciously) hold onto life until they experience a major event – whether a holiday or a loved one comes to see them,” she said. “Our minds and our bodies miraculously work together.”
POPE FRANCIS, LEADER OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, DEAD AT 88
Francis’s final day reflected the importance of Easter to Catholics. He met with Vice President JD Vance, drove through St. Peter’s Square in an open car, gave blessings, and spoke to the tens of thousands of faithful gathered.
The camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, announced the pontiff’s death by delivering a public statement at 9:45 a.m. local time.