Kriti Mehrotra
If there’s one thing absolutely nobody can deny, it’s that former thoracic surgeon Paolo Macchiarini really broke all bounds with his intricate web of lies in both his personal and professional life. This much has actually even been evidenced in Peacock’s ‘Dr. Death’ season 2, which spans everything from his rise as a regenerative medicine “miracle man” to his fall as a psychotic con man. Yet for now, if you simply wish to learn more about his claims concerning Pope Francis — that they not just knew one another but were also friends — we’ve got all the necessary details for you.
Does Paolo Macchiarini Have a Connection With Pope Francis?
While the short answer is no, the truth is there was a time when Paolo managed to convince his partner Benita Alexander and all those close to them that he did indeed know the Pope very well. It was shortly following their engagement on Christmas Day 2013 when he became a bit secretive regarding why they couldn’t spend New Year’s together, driving her to really press him on the matter. So, to get her off his back, he reportedly swore her to secrecy before revealing he was part of a “highly classified group of doctors from around the world who cater to the world’s VIPs.”
This included not only Pope Francis (whom he apparently often referred to as PF) but also the Clintons, Emperor Akihito of Japan, the Obamas, the Putins, the Sarkozys, plus several other A-listers. In fact, nearly a year later, Paolo ostensibly told Benita he’d met with His Holiness for four hours, during which he’d consented to the couple’s union and even vowed to officiate despite them both being divorcees. He called himself the Pope’s “personal doctor,” according to Vanity Fair, prior to later insisting his patient was ready to marry them at his summer residence, the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo.
What’s more is that Paolo then went as far as to assert Pope Francis would even allow the newlyweds, as well as all their queer friends, to take communion to set yet another progressive example. Divorcees and members of the LGBTQ+ community are traditionally not allowed to participate in Communion service within the Catholic church, so this honestly meant a lot to a lot of different people. But then came the truth; a friend found and e-mailed Benita the Pope’s itinerary for the summer of 2015, which clearly showed he’d be in South America on the day he was supposed to be officiating her wedding.
It turns out Paolo had lied about everything; he was not Pope Francis’ doctor, he had no ins with the Vatican, and he’d never made any arrangements at all for his upcoming nuptials with Benita. That’s because he was already a married father of two — he wasn’t divorced like he’d led his New York-based news producer partner to believe, who was actually all packed up to relocate to Barcelona, Spain, for him (alongside her daughter).
In a statement to Vanity Fair, the director of His Holiness’ office has since reiterated, “There is no ‘personal doctor’ of the Pope with [the] name ‘Macchiarini.’ The Pope has surely never promised to officiate a wedding of ‘Macchiarini’ and does not know someone with such [a] name. On 11th July [2015], the Pope was travelling in Latin America, and this was on his agenda long time before July.” Also, renowned musician Andrea Bocelli was not booked to serenade the couple either; he actually never even does weddings.
Read More: Is Kim Verdi Based on Benita Alexander’s Real Friend? Where is She Now?
