Anthony Albanese has offered a rare public reflection on his own Catholic faith as he described the late Pope Francis as one of the church's most significant leaders.
The prime minister was due to campaign in Melbourne as pre-polling began on Tuesday, but he cancelled engagements out of respect for the late Pope.
Mr Albanese, who is Catholic, attended mass earlier in the morning at St Patrick's Cathedral, where he paid respects to the late pontiff alongside other mourners.
He was greeted by the dean of the church, Monsignor Stuart Hall, on a rainy Melbourne morning as worshippers left floral tributes.
Mr Albanese said Pope Francis left a great legacy.
"Pope Francis, I think, will be recorded as one of the most significant of all the holy fathers," he told reporters.
"The change that he led was significant indeed, and he, of course, advocated for reforms that weren't universally supported as well.
"He had courage and he showed true leadership."
Mr Albanese recently attended an Easter Sunday mass in Sydney at St Mary's Cathedral, where he also went to school for eight years and was an altar boy.
While the prime minister said he tried not to talk about his Catholic faith publicly, it was a significant aspect of his life.
"At times like this, I think what people do is they draw on who they are, and certainly my Catholicism is just a part of me," he said.
"(The Pope's) humility for the way that he embraced the poor, the way that he embraced the social justice message that I see as the message of Jesus Christ is really important for so many Catholics, and he was someone who I personally admired."
The prime minister was previously set to campaign in marginal Melbourne seats on Tuesday before news of the Pope's death changed plans.
Several seats in the Victorian capital are in play at the election, with the prime minister hoping to hold on to many electorates in the city's outer suburbs as the opposition campaigns hard on a cost-of-living message.
Mr Albanese is due to travel back to Sydney later in the day for the third leaders' debate, which is expected to go ahead in the evening as scheduled.
