World leaders expressed their condolences following the passing of Pope Francis on Monday at the age of 88.
"I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him," US Vice-President J.D. Vance said.
"I was happy to see him yesterday (Sunday), though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful."
US President Donald Trump said on Truth Social: "Rest in peace, Pope Francis! May God bless him and all who loved him!"
French President Emmanuel Macron said that throughout his pontificate Pope Francis had always sided with the most vulnerable and the most fragile, and that he did this with a lot of humility.
"In this time of war and brutality, he had a sense for the other, for the most fragile," Macron said.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she "had the privilege of enjoying his friendship, his advice, his teachings, which never ceased not even during times of trial and suffering."
The pope will be remembered as a figure who toiled for the weak in society, Germany's chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz shared on X/Twitter, adding that the pontiff had touched people worldwide.
Der Tod von Papst Franziskus erfüllt mich mit großer Trauer. Franziskus wird in Erinnerung bleiben für seinen unermüdlichen Einsatz für die Schwächsten der Gesellschaft, für Gerechtigkeit und Versöhnung. Demut und der Glaube an die Barmherzigkeit Gottes leiteten ihn dabei. Damit…
— Friedrich Merz (@_FriedrichMerz) April 21, 2025
"Pope Francis was in every way a man of the people," Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof wrote in a post on X/Twitter.
Pope Francis was in every way a man of the people. The global Catholic community bids farewell to a leader who recognised the burning issues of our day and called attention to them. With his sober way of life, acts of service and compassion, Pope Francis was a role model for many…
— Dick Schoof (@MinPres) April 21, 2025
"The global Catholic community bids farewell to a leader who recognised the burning issues of our day and called attention to them," he added.
'A great spiritual leader'
Swiss President Karin Maria Keller-Sutter lauded him as a "great spiritual leader, a tireless advocate for peace."
He was a great spiritual leader, a tireless advocate for peace, and his human warmth was a comfort not only to Catholics. Pope Francis @Pontifex has left us. His legacy will remain. pic.twitter.com/zHcBjKbgYB
— Karin Keller-Sutter (@keller_sutter) April 21, 2025
Britain's King Charles said he was "most deeply saddened" about the death of Pope Francis, sending his "most heartfelt condolences and profound sympathy to the Church he served with such resolve."
Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church also mourned Francis, saying he was "a true example of Christian humility."
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva declared a seven-day mourning for Francis in Latin America's biggest country.
"Humanity loses today a voice of respect and welcome for others," Lula said in a statement. "May God comfort those who today, everywhere in the world, suffer the pain of this enormous loss. In his memory and in homage to his work, I decree a seven-day mourning in Brazil."