Pope Francis wanted to work to the end, telling the bishop of BBC

Pope Francis refused to respond to slow advice in the past few years, preferring “death with his shoes on”, according to a nearby assistant.

In an exclusive interview with the BBC, bishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican Foreign Minister since 2014, said that the Pope was driven to continue because he knew that he had an opportunity to help the helpless.

While describing a polite, gentle and emotional man, bishop Gallagher also said that Pope Francis knew his mind and often challenged the advice of those around him.

“One of the things I always admired – although I did not always agree with him at the beginning – is that he did not escape from difficult things,” said bishops, Gallagher.

“He will face issues and show great courage,” he added.

Pope Francis, the first Pope in Latin America, died on Monday at the age of 88, after a period of health that led to five weeks in the hospital with double pneumonia.

Bishop Gallaghar, the head of the Galalag, said, sitting in the reception room in the Vatican, even was amazed at the size of the void that the Pope’s death feels.

He added: “It was an incredible voice, and he was fully aware that the vast majority of people are unable and they have no fate in their hands. I think he felt that he could contribute to something to make things a little better for them.”

The Vatican official, who accompanied the Pope on his foreign trips, said he was in particular attracted to the ordeal of migrants, women and children who fell into a conflict, saying that he felt their suffering “in a very real way.”

Archbishop Gallaghar suggested that Pope Francis felt that he could have a hand in helping to reduce the suffering, which prompted him to continue working at a full pace even when he was told, saying he believed that he is “66 or 67 years old” since the Pope took a holiday.

The first flight of Pope Francis outside Rome was to meet the immigrants on the Italian island of Lampedosa. But he then traveled widely abroad to visit more than 60 countries, and not always those who want his assistants to go to him.

Archbishop Gallaghar reminds the time when the Pope wanted to visit the Central African Republic and a contract that many advisers told him that it was very dangerous to go.

The head of the bishop Ghalaghar said: “He just said,” I am going, and I am going, and if no one wants to come, then there is nothing wrong, I will go on my own, “which of course was putting us in shame.”

Pope Francis He visited the Central African Republic in 2015 As he wanted.

“He was always ready to surprise us who was ready to meet and talk to him. Sometimes, this Foundation (Vatican) says that one should be a little wise and will not listen to that.”

The Vatican Foreign Minister described the Pope’s ability to take revenge through clearly difficult issues, and remind officials, for example, to remember immigrants as human beings and not only “numbers” in their discussions about them.

On foreign trips over the years, Pope Francis can sometimes see a gesture to sleep during official events with politicians and heads of state, or wearing an expression indicating that he did not enjoy the moment.

Bishop Gallaghar admitted what observers had long been suspected of, and that the Pope preferred to be surrounded by ordinary people, especially young people, instead of meeting “great and good”.

He feels that Pope Francis’s legacy has many dimensions, but he certainly includes breaking the barriers between the public and the church institution, especially its leader, who described it as “very friendly and very natural.”

“I used to love to tell the tales and also admired this kind of things. The last thing he told me, two weeks ago, it was” not losing the spirit of humor. “

The Vatican said that more than 250,000 people pushed their respect for Pope Francis between Wednesday and Friday during his state in the Church of St. Peter, before his funeral on Saturday.

• You can watch and follow the funeral directly here on the BBC website and application. In the UK, there will be live coverage on the BBC one of 0830-1230 BST, presented by Rete Chakrabarti, available to watch on iplayer. There will also be live coverage on BBC News channel It was presented by Maryam Machiri. Finally, you can also follow the funeral coverage on BBC World Service