Pope promotes Vatican nurse credited with saving his life

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has promoted a Vatican nurse to be his “personal health care assistant” The Vatican announced the appointment of Massimiliano Strappetti on Thursday. Strappetti is the nursing coordinator of the Vatican’s health department, and the 85-year-old Francis has credited him with saving his life. The pope said last year that the nurse accurately diagnosed an intestinal problem that led to the removal of a 33-centimeter (13-inch) part of his colon and a 10-day hospital stay. Strappetti also accompanied Francis on a weeklong trip to Canada last month. Francis already has a personal physician who was appointed last year, an internist and geriatric specialist at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome.