‘A Beacon of Compassion’: World Leaders Honor Pope Francis

Heads of state and religious leaders around the world offered condolences and messages honoring Pope Francis following the announcement of his passing on Monday, honoring him as compassionate, warm, and a “moral beacon” in a divided world.

The Vatican announced on Monday that Pope Francis died on Easter Monday after presiding over services marking the holiest holiday on the Christian calendar the day before.

“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber, said in a message to the public. “With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God.”

As the head of the Catholic Church, the pope presided over a religion with nearly a billion and a half members, taking over for retiring Pope Benedict XVI in 2013. Pope Francis was the first Latin American pope, a native of Argentina, and the first pope representing the Jesuit Order. He was hospitalized in February with a severe respiratory illness but released in late March and attended Holy Week services as one of his last acts on earth. He was 88 years old.

The president of his home country, President Javier Milei of Argentina, issued a statement on Monday expressing “profound pain” on his behalf and that of his nation.

“Despite differences which are now minor, having been able to meet him in his graciousness and wisdom was a true honor for me,” Milei wrote. “As president, as an Argentine, and, fundamentally, as a man of faith, I say goodbye to the Holy Father and accompany all those who today find ourselves with this said news.”

As a presidential candidate, Milei regularly disparaged the pope, calling him an “imbecile” for allegedly promoting “social justice.” The pope gave Milei an audience shortly after his inauguration as president in which the two pronounced themselves friends and Milei announced he had “reconsidered” his stance on the pontiff.

President Donald Trump — whose wife, First Lady Melania Trump, is Roman Catholic — issued a brief message responding to the pope’s passing on Monday: “Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!”

Vice President JD Vance, himself a Catholic and one of the pope’s final guests this weekend, separately honored Pope Francis sharing a homily that the pope offered during the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic.

“I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful,” he wrote.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a Hindu nationalist, issued an extensive statement recalling Pope Francis’s legacy and praying for him.

“In this hour of grief and remembrance, my heartfelt condolences to the global Catholic community. Pope Francis will always be remembered as a beacon of compassion, humility and spiritual courage by millions across the world,” Modi wrote. “From a young age, he devoted himself towards realising the ideals of Lord Christ. He diligently served the poor and downtrodden. For those who were suffering, he ignited a spirit of hope.”

“I fondly recall my meetings with him and was greatly inspired by his commitment to inclusive and all-round development. His affection for the people of India will always be cherished. May his soul find eternal peace in God’s embrace,” the prime minister concluded.

Russian strongman Vladimir Putin also published a letter offering condolences, noting that the two had met on multiple occasions. Putin noted that the pope “enjoyed great international authority as a faithful servant of Christian teaching, a wise religious (leader) and statesman, and a consistent defender of the high values ​​of humanism and justice.” Putin also specifically expressed gratitude to Pope Francis for having “actively promoted the development of dialogue between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches, as well as constructive interaction between Russia and the Holy See.”

“Communication between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Roman Catholic Church has been developing quite rapidly at all levels in recent years,” Hieromonk Stefan Igumnov, a spokesman at the Moscow Patriarchat noted in remarks to the Russian news agency Tass. “The sides have engaged on a wide range of issues, including cooperation in the humanitarian area. The personality of Pope Francis was of significant importance in the development of that cooperation.”

The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, also praised Pope Francis for his efforts to pray for his country.

“Millions of people around the world are mourning the tragic news of Pope Francis’s passing. His life was devoted to God, to people, and to the Church,” Zelensky wrote. “He knew how to give hope, ease suffering through prayer, and foster unity. He prayed for peace in Ukraine and for Ukrainians. We grieve together with Catholics and all Christians who looked to Pope Francis for spiritual support. Eternal memory!”

Islamist Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdogan — who recently converted what was once one of Catholicism’s most impressive cathedrals, the Hagia Sophia, into a mosque again — was among several Muslim leaders to mark the passing of the pope.

“Pope Francis was a distinguished statesman and a spiritual leader who valued dialogue among different faith communities. He took initiative in the face of humanitarian tragedies, especially on the Palestinian issue and the genocide in Gaza,” Erdogan said in his statement, referring to counterterror operations by Israel against the jihadist terror organizations Hamas.

Similarly, the strongman leader of Egypt, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, acclaimed Pope Francis for having “worked tirelessly to promote tolerance and build bridges of dialogue… and was a champion of the Palestinian cause, defending legitimate rights and calling for an end to conflict.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog also honored Pope Francis in a statement, calling him “a man of faith and boundless compassion.”

“He rightly saw great importance in fostering strong ties with the Jewish world and in advancing interfaith dialogue as a path toward greater understanding and mutual respect,” Herzog observed. “I truly hope that his prayers for peace in the Middle East and for the safe return of the hostages will soon be answered.”

The only Christian president in the Middle East, President Joseph Aoun of Lebanon, thanked Pope Francis for “his repeated calls to protect Lebanon and preserve its identity and diversity” in his statement, lamenting his passing as, “a loss “for all humanity, for he was a powerful voice for justice.”

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa thanked Pope Francis in his message for having “advanced a world view of inclusion, equality, and care for marginalised individuals and groups, as well as responsible and sustainable custody of the natural environment.”

“His extraordinary life story and ascendancy to the Holy See unfolded with humility and a profound commitment to making the Church and the world a better place for all of humanity,” Ramaphosa wrote. “Following so soon after the celebration of Easter, Pope Francis’ passing will extend this traditional period of prayer and reflection, which will unite the Church and the international community in reflecting on the Holy Father’s life and legacy.”

Anglican Archbishop Thabo Makgoba of Cape Town similarly lauded Pope Francis, declaring him the “last globally-recognised moral voice in our confused times.”

“The poor of the world will be those who will miss him the most as a champion and custodian of their hopes and dreams. He was an incredible, prophetic pastor whose vision was a ‘church of the poor for the poor,’ to quote one of his favourite sayings,” Makgoba said. “We are deeply grateful to him for holding before us the image of the church as a field hospital, and for the incredible ways in which he embraced the marginalised, begging priests to identify with them as ‘shepherds living with the smell of the sheep.’”

In Asia, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te vowed to “continue to draw inspiration from his lifelong commitment to peace, global solidarity, and caring for those in need.”

The frontrunner in South Korea’s upcoming presidential election, Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, thanked Pope Francis for his “concern for peace on the Korean Peninsula” and his prayers for the victims of the capsizing of a ferry in Sewol in 2014.

“I will live out the pope’s appeal for more politicians to serve the socially vulnerable and the poor in my life,” he vowed.

European leaders were among the first to honor the pope, highlighting his “compassion” and role as a “great shepherd.”

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