Political and religious leaders around the world have paid tribute to the life and legacy of Pope Francis, whose 12-year papacy came to an end with his death in Rome early on Monday morning at the age of 88.
Many recalled his unfailing defence of the poorest and most marginalised, and his profound commitment to peace and the environment. They also remembered his warmth and wit as a man and as leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics.
The UN secretary-general, António Guterres, summed up Francis as “a messenger of hope, humility and humanity” and “a transcendent voice for peace, human dignity and social justice”.
France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, said the late pope had always sided with the most vulnerable – and had done so with considerable humility.
“In this time of war and brutality, he had a sense for the other, for the most fragile,” Macron told reporters on a visit to the French territory of Mayotte, adding that “great pain” would be felt at the pontiff’s death in France and internationally.
Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, said news of Francis’s death was cause for great sadness because it marked the departure of “a great man [and] a great shepherd”.
In a statement, she added: “I had the privilege of enjoying his friendship, his advice, his teachings, which never ceased not even during times of trial and suffering.
We say goodbye to the Holy Father with a heart full of sadness.”
Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, said Francis’s “commitment to peace, social justice and the most vulnerable leaves a deep legacy’”, while King Felipe praised the pope for bringing “solace to the poorest”.
Ireland’s president, Michael Higgins, said Francis’s recognition of the “essential dignity” of every human being had helped him confront issues such as the climate crisis and the plight of immigrants, as well as the child sexual abuse scandal that has rocked the church.
Poland’s president, Andrzej Duda, said Francis had been guided by “humility and simplicity” throughout his long pastoral ministry: “He chose as his papal motto the words of his episcopal calling: ‘Miserando atque eligendo’ – ‘He looked upon him with mercy and chose him.’ He was a great apostle of mercy, in which he saw an answer to the challenges of the modern world.”
The prime minister of the Netherlands, Dick Schoof, said Francis’s “sober way of life [and] acts of service and compassion” had made him a role model to many Catholics and non-Catholics alike. “The global Catholic community bids farewell to a leader who recognised the burning issues of our day and called attention to them,” he added.
Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said with the death of Pope Francis, “the Catholic church and the world lose an advocate for the weak, a reconciling and a warm-hearted person”.
The country’s president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said the world had “lost a shining beacon of hope”, adding: “From the very first days of his ministry as bishop of Rome, he made it clear that the poor and marginalised, the displaced and refugees could be sure of his special attention, his special care and even his special love. Many who felt forgotten felt heard, seen and understood by him, the pope.”
The Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, offered his condolences to Christians in Israel and across the world.
“He rightly saw great importance in fostering strong ties with the Jewish world and in advancing interfaith dialogue as a path towards greater understanding and mutual respect,” Herzog said.
Although Israel’s relationship with Francis had become fractious over the past 18 months because of the late pontiff’s calls to end the war in Gaza, Herzog added: “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 New Zealand prime minister, Christopher Luxon, remembered Francis as “a man of humility” who had left behind a legacy that included “an unwavering commitment to the vulnerable, to social justice and to interfaith dialogue”.
The US president, Donald Trump – whose policies on immigration and mass deportation were openly criticised by the late pontiff – issued a short post on his Truth Social platform, saying: “Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!”
Joe Biden, who was only the second Roman Catholic to serve as US president, hailed the late pope as “unlike any who came before him”, adding: “Pope Francis will be remembered as one of the most consequential leaders of our time and I am better for having known him.”
The US vice-president, JD Vance – who held a brief meeting with Francis in Rome on Sunday morning – said his heart went out to the millions of Catholics around the world who had loved the pontiff.
“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.”
Javier Milei, the president of Francis’s native Argentina, voiced “profound sorrow” over the death of the first Latin American pontiff.
The rightwing radical was a longtime critic of Francis, whom he notoriously called a communism-promoting imbecile and even “a son of a bitch”. However, the two men were reconciled last year during a brief meeting when Milei visited the Vatican. On Monday, Milei said: “Despite the differences that seem minor today, being able to know him and see his goodness and wisdom was a true honour for me.”
Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said that with the pope’s passing, humanity had lost “a voice of respect and acceptance of others”. He said Francis had shone a spotlight on the issue of the climate crisis and “vigorously criticised” the economic models that had caused so much injustice.
The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Francis “knew how to give hope, ease suffering through prayer, and foster unity”. He added: “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!”
Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, said Francis had won international renown as “a faithful servant of Christian teaching, a wise religious and statesmanlike figure, and a consistent defender of the high values of humanism and justice”.
India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, described the pope as a “beacon of compassion”, while Egypt’s president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, called Francis a “voice of peace, love and compassion”.
Keir Starmer, the UK prime minister, said Francis had been “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 hope of a better world.”
Stephen Cottrell, the archbishop of York and interim leader of the Church of England, paid tribute to a “holy man of God” who was deeply committed to the poor and to the environment.
“I remember, in the brief times spent with him, how this holy man of God was also very human,” Cottrell added. “He was witty, lively, good to be with, and the warmth of his personality and interest in others shone out from him.”
The former archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who became the leader of the world’s Anglicans in same year that Francis was elected pope, said: “From the very first days of his papacy he was an example of humility. He constantly reminded us of the importance of serving the poor, always standing with those who faced persecution and hardship.”
Pinchas Goldschmidt, the president of the Conference of European Rabbis, also offered his condolences and recalled what he termed Francis’s “unwavering dedication to promoting peace and goodwill worldwide”.
Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, offered Buddhist prayers and wrote to the papal envoy to “express his sadness” at Francis’s death.
“Pope Francis dedicated himself to the service of others … consistently revealing by his own actions how to live a simple, but meaningful life,” the Buddhist leader said in a statement from his base in exile in India.
“The best tribute we can pay to him is to be a warm-hearted person, serving others wherever and in whatever way we can.”
Countries including Argentina, Brazil, and Spain declared periods of national mourning, while in Italy, all Serie A football matches scheduled for Easter Monday were postponed.
