Scottish Catholic Observer

Miriam Wuolou, a 34-year-old of Eritrean origin, was seven-months pregnant when her body was discovered in her apartment on the outskirts of the city on February 19.

Ms Wuolou was the receptionist at the Vatican’s Saint Martha guesthouse, where the Pope resides. The Italian press reports also reported she worked as a kind of gatekeeper for the Pontiff, as well as for the bishops and cardinals who stay there.

Before meeting with the President of Argentina on Saturday, the Pope stopped by her funeral.

After laying the flowers, the Pope sprinkled the coffin with holy water and remained in prayer for 20 minutes. Her funeral service was held on Saturday morning at Roman parish of Santo Stefano degli Abissini.

According to Italian news agency AGI, an autopsy showed that Ms Wuolou, 34, who had suffered from severe diabetes, died due to a malfunction with her internal insulin pump, which controlled the level of glucose in her blood.

She was pregnant at the time of her death in what doctors considered a ‘high-risk’ pregnancy due to the severity of her diabetes.

Police had previously been investigating and interviewed family members, her ex-husband from whom she was separated, and most recent boyfriend, thought to be a policeman in the Vatican, according to Rome-based newspapers.

After praying in front of her coffin, the Holy Father headed back to the Vatican, where he met with Argentina’s new president, Mauricio Macri.

—This story ran in full in the March 4 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes.