The head of Pope Francis' medical team says there was a crisis during the pontiff's battle with pneumonia so dire, they considered "whether to stop and let him go."

Pope Francis came so close to death at one point during his 38-day fight in hospital against pneumonia that his doctors considered ending treatment so he could die in peace, the head of the pope's medical team said.

Pope Francis’ medical team briefly considered suspending treatment after a Feb. 28 breathing crisis but instead decided on an aggressive course that put his organs at risk, the doctor coordinating the pope’s hospital care said in an interview published Tuesday.