Mournful church bells rang out and crowds filled pews as tributes poured in from around the globe on Monday following the Vatican’s announcement of Pope Francis’s death at age 88.
The 266th pope was praised for his groundbreaking steps to honor the poor and the vulnerable; seek to end conflicts like those in the Middle East, Ukraine and Africa; protect the environment; and guide the Catholic Church toward greater tolerance of gays and lesbians, among other things. Some critics say he didn't always go far enough. Others said he went too far.
Many recalled his legacy as the first pope from Latin America, and the first Jesuit to reach the pinnacle of church hierarchy, one who stressed humility over hubris for a Church beset with scandal and indifference.
"Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!," U.S. President Donald Trump, who clashed with the Argentine pontiff on a number of issues, wrote on his Truth Social platform.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who met with the pope on Easter Sunday before traveling to India, wrote on social media that his "heart goes out” to the millions of Christians who loved him, and said: "I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill.”
King Charles III praised the pope for his work on safeguarding the planet and alluded to their multiple personal meetings, including a private visit on April 10 at the Vatican.
"We were greatly moved to have been able to visit him earlier in the month,’’ the King wrote in a statement signed "Charles R.” It was the pope’s first known meeting with a foreign dignitary after he was hospitalized for five weeks with double pneumonia.
Church bells tolled in honor of Francis, from the recently reopened Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris to a lone bell at the St. Bartholomew Parish in Bulacan, in the Philippines, that was rung 88 times to signify "the 88 fruitful years of our dear Pope Francis,” the parish wrote on social media.
President Emmanuel Macron of France, a largely Roman Catholic country, focused on the pope's impact on the church, writing on social media that "from Buenos Aires to Rome, Pope Francis wanted the Church to bring joy and hope to the poorest. For it to unite humans among themselves and with nature. May this hope forever outlast him.”
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, one of the few official visitors to see Francis during his recent hospitalization, alluded to the pope’s personal comfort and advice, saying it "never failed me, not even in times of trial and suffering.” She added: "We are saying goodbye to a great man and a great shepherd.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recalled the pontiff as an inspiration for the entire world, not just Christians. "He inspired millions, far beyond the Catholic Church, with his humility and love so pure for the less fortunate,” she said on social media. "My thoughts are with all who feel this profound loss."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Francis was dedicated to building interfaith dialogue and addressing "human tragedies" such as the Palestinian issue and the war in Gaza.
"A respected statesman, Pope Francis was also a spiritual leader who valued dialogue between different faith groups and took the initiative in the face of human tragedies, especially the Palestinian issue and the genocide in Gaza," Erdogan wrote on social media.
President Vladimir Putin of Russia hailed the pope as a "consistent defender of the high values of humanism and justice” and alluded to the pontiff's efforts to foster interfaith dialogue between the Russian Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Churches.
Last year, the pope suggested Ukraine should have the courage to negotiate an end to the war with Russia and not be ashamed to sit at the same table to carry out talks. Critics said that suggested he was siding with Russia. Francis tried to maintain the Vatican’s traditional diplomatic neutrality during the war, but that often was accompanied by apparent sympathy with Russia's rationale for invading Ukraine – like when he said NATO was "barking at Russia’s door” with its eastward expansion.
The Palestine Red Crescent offered condolences to Christians, calling the pope "one of the most prominent supporters of justice and human dignity, including his noble stances regarding the suffering of the Palestinian people and their right to freedom and justice."
President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt, an overwhelmingly Muslim country, said Francis leaves behind "a great human legacy that will remain etched in the conscience of humanity.”
