King Charles has led tributes following the death of Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic church, aged 88.
Pope Francis died on Monday, April 21, following a prolonged battle with double pneumonia.
The Argentinian was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio born in Buenos Aires on the 17th of December 1936.
Seen as an outsider when he was chosen to succeed Benedict the 16th in 2013, the Argentinian was the first Latin American and the first Jesuit to lead the Roman Catholic Church.
The Pontiff appeared to the public for the final time on Sunday, as he delivered an Easter blessing to hundreds of worshippers.
Speaking to the crowd, he paid tribute to the victims of global conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza as he shared a message of peace in his final public appearance.
In a heartfelt statement, King Charles, who met the Pope just weeks ago, said: “My wife and I were most deeply saddened to learn of the death of Pope Francis. Our heavy hearts have been somewhat eased, however, to know that His Holiness was able to share an Easter Greeting with the Church and the world he served with such devotion throughout his life and ministry.
“His Holiness will be remembered for his compassion, his concern for the unity of the Church and for his tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith, and to those of goodwill who work for the benefit of others.
“His belief that care for Creation is an existential expression of faith in God resounded with so many across the world. Through his work and care for both people and planet, he profoundly touched the lives of so many.
“The Queen and I remember with particular affection our meetings with His Holiness over the years and we were greatly moved to have been able to visit him earlier in the month.
“We send our most heartfelt condolences and profound sympathy to the Church he served with such resolve and to the countless people around the world who, inspired by his life, will be mourning the devastating loss of this faithful follower of Jesus Christ.”
Paying tribute to the Pontiff, the Vatican said: “Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis.
“At 7.35am this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church.
“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalised.
“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.”
Camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell said in a statement on Monday: “At 7.35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father.
“His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church.
“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalised
“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 God, One and Tribune.”
Paying tribute to the religious leader, Sir Keir Starmer said: “I join millions around the world in grieving the death of His Holiness Pope Francis.
“His leadership in a complex and challenging time for the world and the church was often courageous, yet always came from a place of deep humility.
“Pope Francis was a pope for the poor, the downtrodden and the forgotten. He was close to the realities of human fragility, meeting Christians around the world facing war, famine, persecution and poverty. Yet he never lost the faith-fuelled hope of a better world.
“That hope was as the heart of his papacy. His determination to visibly live out his faith inspired people across the world to see afresh the church’s teachings of mercy and charity.
“With his death, we are reminded once more of his call to care for one another across different faiths, backgrounds, nations and beliefs.
“My thoughts are with Catholics across the world, and the Roman Catholic church. May His Holiness Rest in Peace.”
Stephen Cottrell, the Archbishop of York, said: “Let us walk together, work together, pray together.’ These are the words Pope Francis said to me when we met in 2023. They sum up his vision for the church, both the Roman Catholic Church but also ecumenically.
“Francis’s whole life and ministry was centred on Jesus who comes among us not to be served, but to serve. We saw that compellingly in Francis’s service of the poor, his love of neighbour especially the displaced, migrant, the asylum seeker, his deep compassion for the well-being of the earth and his desire to lead and build the church in new ways. Francis showed us how to follow Jesus and encouraged us to go and do likewise.
“His encyclicals, writings and teachings, were supported by his deeds and actions. In their humility and focus on those in the margins, those actions, his whole life, was instantly recognisable as those of one who followed Jesus.
“Pope Francis was acutely aware of the divisions between our churches and how they stand in the way of seeing Jesus Christ more fully. I remember the powerful work the Pope did with the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland in promoting peacebuilding in South Sudan.
“He was a listening Pope whose commitment to the principle and the process of synodality will be a permanent legacy to the Roman Catholic Church and to all of us.
“I remember, in the brief times I spent with him, how this holy man of God was also very human. He was witty, lively, good to be with, and the warmth of his personality and interest in others shone out from him.
“May he rest in peace and rise in glory.”
The White House said: “Rest in Peace, Pope Francis.”
US Vice President, the last world leader to meet the Pope, added: “I just leaned [sic] of the passing of Pope Francis.
“My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him.
“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. May God rest his soul.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch paid tribute to Pope Francis’s “humility, courage, and conviction” following his death.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: “My sympathies go out to all in the Catholic Church following the death of Pope Francis. I met him and liked him very much.”
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair added: “Pope Francis was an extraordinary and devoted servant of the Catholic Church, admired both within and beyond it for his humility, compassion, and unwavering commitment to the Christian faith and the service of all humanity-Christian and non-Christian alike.
“Cherie and I are deeply saddened by his passing. May he rest in peace.”
Sir Ed Davey has paid tribute to Pope Francis as “a leader of compassion and courage”.
Scottish First Minister John Swinney has described Pope Francis as “a voice for peace, tolerance and reconciliation” as he paid tribute following the pontiff’s death aged 88.
French President Emmanuel Macron said: “In this time of war and brutality, he had a sense for the other, for the most fragile.”
The New Zealand prime minister, Christopher Luxon, posted on X: “I am saddened to hear of the passing of Pope Francis.
“A man of humility, his legacy includes an unwavering commitment to the vulnerable, to social justice and to interfaith dialogue. My thoughts are with Catholics and all those in New Zealand and around the world who mourn his death.”
By Henry Moore
