An Italian priest who contracted coronavirus has passed away after selflessly giving his respirator to a younger patient also battling the illness.
Friar Don Giuseppe Berardelli, 72, tended to the parish of Casnigo, a small village located just 40 miles northeast of Milan.
He breathed his last in the Lovere hospital in Bergamo, one of the hardest-hit areas in Italy.
The hospital reported that he declined to use a respirator purchased by his parishioners and instead chose to give it to a younger patient he did not know.
An obituary on Araberara, an Italian news website, quoted a healthcare worker who said, “He was a priest who listened to everyone, he knew how to listen, and whoever turned to him knew that he could count on his help.”
Clara Poli, who had been the mayor of Fiorano for several years, described the priest as a “great person”.
She shared with the news publication, “I remember him on his old Guzzi motorbike; he loved his motorbike. When he was seen passing by, he was always cheerful and full of enthusiasm. He gave peace and joy to our communities.”
“He does not leave us alone; from up there, he watches over us and continues to ride through the clouds with his motorcycle. Who knows how many projects he is doing up there, also for us.”
No funeral was held for Friar Berardelli as Bergamo is one of the worst-hit areas in the world. Instead, people stood on their balconies at noon after his death and gave him a round of applause.