World reacts after Vatican announces pope’s death

The Vatican said Pope Francis ‘returned to the house of the Father’ at 7:35 a.m. on Easter Monday.

The Vatican announced Easter Monday the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88.

Pope Francis, pictured on Oct. 3, 2015. © Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk.

In an April 21 statement, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, said: “Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis.”

“At 7:35 this morning [Rome time], 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.”

The Irish-born American cardinal made the announcement in the chapel of the pope’s Casa Santa Marta residence, flanked by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, chief of staff Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, and master of liturgical ceremonies Archbishop Diego Ravelli.

“He taught us to live the values ​​of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized,” Farrell said.

“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.”

In a later announcement, the Holy See press office said Farrell would “preside over the rite of the certification of death and the laying of the body in the coffin” at 8 p.m. local time April 21.

The ceremony, in the Casa Santa Marta chapel, will follow the provisions of the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, the liturgical book for papal funeral rites, recently updated by Pope Francis.

The Vatican also confirmed the postponement of the canonization of Bl. Carlo Acutis, scheduled for Sunday, April 27.

The pope’s death followed a years-long struggle with poor health. In February, he was admitted at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital with double pneumonia. After a five-week stay, he returned to the Vatican to continue his recovery.

Under doctor’s orders to rest, he made rare public appearances.

On Holy Thursday, he visited prisoners at Rome’s Regina Coeli prison.

On Easter Sunday, he made his last appearance, on the loggia above St. Peter’s Square, where he briefly wished pilgrims a happy Easter. He granted a brief audience the same day to U.S. Vice President JD Vance.

Reacting to the pope’s death, Vance wrote on his social media account: “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.”

Vance said he would always remember the homily Pope Francis preached in an almost empty St. Peter’s Square in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world.

“It was really quite beautiful,” Vance commented. “May God rest his soul.”

U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on social media: “Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!”

Former President Joe Biden, who awarded Pope Francis the Presidential Medal of Freedom, said the Argentine pontiff was “unlike any who came before him.”

“Pope Francis will be remembered as one of the most consequential leaders of our time and I am better for having known him,” he commented.

Former President Barack Obama said Pope Francis was “the rare leader who made us want to be better people.”

“In his humility and his gestures at once simple and profound — embracing the sick, ministering to the homeless, washing the feet of young prisoners — he shook us out of our complacency and reminded us that we are all bound by moral obligations to God and one another,” he wrote.

World leaders pay tribute

Among the first heads of state to respond to the pope’s death was France’s Emmanuel Macron, who most recently met with Francis in Corsica in December 2024.

“From Buenos Aires to Rome, Pope Francis wanted the Church to bring joy and hope to the poorest of the poor. To unite people with each other and with nature. May this hope be resurrected unceasingly beyond him,” Macron wrote on twitter.com.

“My wife and I send our thoughts to all Catholics and to the grieving world.”

Britain’s King Charles III was the last head of state to meet with Pope Francis, visiting the convalescing pope at the Vatican April 9 with Queen Camilla.

In a tribute posted on social media, he wrote: “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 king added: “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.”

The U.K.’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Pope Francis’ leadership “in a complex and challenging time for the world 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-fueled hope of a better world,” he commented.

Israel’s President Isaac Herzog praised Pope Francis’ commitment to “fostering strong ties with the Jewish world and in advancing interfaith dialogue as a path toward greater understanding and mutual respect.”

“I truly hope that his prayers for peace in the Middle East and for the safe return of the hostages will soon be answered,” Herzog said.

“May his memory continue to inspire acts of kindness, unity, and hope.”

In his final address, an Easter “Urbi et Orbi” message, read by an aide April 20, Pope Francis said: “The growing climate of anti-Semitism throughout the world is worrisome.”

He added: “Yet at the same time, I think of the people of Gaza, and its Christian community in particular, where the terrible conflict continues to cause death and destruction and to create a dramatic and deplorable humanitarian situation.”

“I appeal to the warring parties: call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace!”

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who met with Pope Francis at the Gemelli Hospital in February, expressed her sorrow at the pope’s death.

She said: “I had the privilege of enjoying his friendship, his advice, and his teachings, which never failed even in times of trial and suffering.”

Referring to Pope Francis’ reflections for this year’s Via Crucis at Rome’s Colosseum, she continued: “In the meditations of the Way of the Cross, he reminded us of the power of the gift, which makes everything flourish again and is capable of reconciling what in the eyes of man is irreconcilable. And he asked the world, once again, for the courage of a change of course, to walk a path that ‘does not crush, but cultivates, repairs, and protects.’”

“We will walk in this direction, to seek the path of peace, pursue the common good, and build a fairer and more equitable society. His magisterium and his legacy will not be lost.”

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the pope “knew how to give hope, ease suffering through prayer, and foster unity.”

“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,” he wrote on social media.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also expressed his condolences.

“Throughout the years of his pontificate, he actively promoted the development of dialogue between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, as well as constructive cooperation between Russia and the Holy See,” he said.

“I have had the opportunity to communicate with this remarkable man on many occasions, and I will forever keep warm memories of him in my heart.”

Putin also said: “The fact that the pope passed away during the Easter period — I don’t know how it is among Catholics, but in Orthodox tradition, there is a belief that if the Lord calls a person to himself on the Easter holy days, it is a special sign that the person has not lived his life in vain, he has done a lot, did much good.”

Javier Milei, the president of Pope Francis’ native Argentina, said: “Despite differences that today seem minor, to have been able to know him in his goodness and wisdom was a true honor for me.”

“As President, as an Argentine, and, fundamentally, as a man of Faith, I bid farewell to the Holy Father and stand with all of us who are today are faced with this sad news.”

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote that the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere was “close to the people of Australia.”

“For Australian Catholics, he was a devoted champion and loving father,” he said.

Catholic leaders mourn Pope Francis

Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said Pope Francis would be remembered for his outreach to people on the margins of the Church and society.

“He renewed for us the mission to bring the Gospel out to the ends of the earth and offer divine mercy to all. He has also taken advantage of the present Jubilee to call us to a profound hope: one that is not an empty or naïve hope, but one grounded in the promise of Almighty God to be with us always,” the Archbishop for the Military Services, USA, said.

“Even with his roots in the Piedmont region of Italy, the first pope from our American continent was marked by his experience as a Jesuit and a shepherd in Buenos Aires. He brought that experience and vision with him to his ministry for the universal Church.”

Referring to a February letter to the U.S. bishops on immigration, Broglio went on: “Recently, he expressed anew prayerful hope in his letter of support to the bishops of this country in our attempts to respond to the face of Christ in the migrant, poor, and unborn. In fact, he has always used the strongest and clearest expressions in the defense of the dignity of the human person from conception to natural death.”

Broglio said he last met with Pope Francis at the Feb. 9 Jubilee Mass for the Armed Forces, Police, and Security Personnel.

“Despite the challenges of his health, he was with us and even used a slight gesture to salute the group of bishops who concelebrated the Mass before he boarded the vehicle to return to Santa Marta,” he said.

“The passage from this life of the Bishop of Rome calls us to pray for his eternal rest and to continue on our path to a deeper union with the Lord Jesus. We remember his leadership in inspiring nations, organizations, and individuals to a renewed commitment to care for each other and our common home.”

“The Bishops of the United States unite in prayer with Catholics here and around the world and all people of good will in gratitude for the life of our revered shepherd. We mourn the passing of our Holy Father and beg St. Joseph to accompany him. Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord.”

Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, the Archbishop of Mexico, said: “In his pontificate, Pope Francis taught us to walk as a synodal Church, to care for the common home, and to never forget the least and the most vulnerable, as well as to open our hearts to the cry of the poor and to approach without fear the existential peripheries where human suffering dwells.”

“His life was an incarnate gospel, a permanent call to conversion, fraternity, hope and synodality.”

“Today, in the light of Easter, we thank the Lord for having raised him up as a universal Shepherd in this time in history. We trust that the Risen Christ, whom he loved and served with all his being, has already welcomed him into the fullness of his Kingdom.”

Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa highlighted the timing of Pope Francis’ death, on Easter Monday, following the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection.

He said: “It is a very interesting, very significant connection. At Easter, we celebrate the Resurrection, the triumph of life and love. And in this day, Pope Francis has been called finally to see the face of God.”

Pizzaballa will celebrate a Mass for the repose of Pope Francis’ soul at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Wednesday, April 23, at 10 a.m. local time.

In a letter to the world’s Jesuits, the order’s Superior General Fr. Arturo Sosa paid tribute to the first Jesuit pope.

“We remember with grateful hearts the discreet and constant attention of Pope Francis to the Society of Jesus, to our life and our apostolate,” he said.

“Many of you were able to meet him in various countries of the world because he always had time for frank and fraternal sharing with the Jesuits who lived and worked in the places he visited.”

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, said Pope Francis’ death brought sadness to many, both within the Church and outside of it.

“A voice proclaiming the innate dignity of every human being, especially those who are poor or marginalized, is now silent,” he said. “The legacy he leaves is one we must seek to carry forward and strengthen.”

Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster, highlighted the pope’s emphasis on “missionary discipleship,” which he described as “a dynamic and powerful vision for every Christian and every community.”

“Now we pray for the repose of his soul, that he may know, in full measure, the merciful and loving embrace of the Father, of the one God to whom he gave his life in unstinting service, “ Nichols said. “May he now rest in peace and rise in glory.”

Cardinal Péter Erdő noted that Hungary was one of the few countries that Pope Francis visited twice, in 2021 and 2023.

“We have always heard and seen with great respect that Pope Francis has consistently represented the cause of peace,” he told Hungary’s M1 television channel.

Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda, the president of Poland’s bishops’ conference, described Pope Francis as “a man of peace and reconciliation.”

“He was a pilgrim of hope,” he said. “He visited the continents and the faithful in order to fill them with peace, to bring the peace of the Risen Christ. Today we ask all of us that this Risen Christ, whom he served faithfully, may receive him into his glory.”

Bishop Steve Lowe, the president of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops’ Conference, said: “While he didn’t set foot on our shores, we know the deep love that Pope Francis had for the Catholic faithful scattered across the world.”

The Bishop of Auckland added: “The Holy Father reminded us of the importance of walking together as the entire People of God — lay people, religious women and men, and clergy – following the path of Jesus.”

“New ways of engaging with one another and new styles of leadership have emerged and are emerging, and we will have Pope Francis to thank for much of that renewal.”

German bishops’ conference chairman Bishop Georg Bätzing said: “With the death of Pope Francis, the Church has lost a great pope, a prudent pastor, and a courageous renewer of the Church’s mission.”

Outgoing French bishops’ conference president Archbishop Éric de Moulins-Beaufort said: “The fruits of this pontificate will be revealed in the years to come. He has certainly left his mark on the Church’s pastoral practice through his simple, encouraging style, his constant reference to God’s mercy, his desire for the sacraments to be accessible to all who ask for them, and his persevering reminder of the cross of Christ Jesus, without which the Church would be just another NGO.”

Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan, in the Philippines, said Pope Francis had supported him when he faced persecution for opposing the war on drugs waged by the then-President Rodrigo Duterte.

“When I was mocked and ridiculed and threatened by government authorities in my stand against the extrajudicial killings, he assured me and encouraged me personally in Rome to carry on my task of guiding the flock through my pastoral letters,” he said.

“He knew his bishops. He knew our tears. He knew us and he loved us. He taught us not to fear.”

In a message to Catholics in Norway’s Prelatures of Trondheim and Tromsø, Bishop Erik Varden expressed gratitude for Pope Francis’ ministry and testimony.

Varden, who is also the president of the Nordic bishops’ conference, wrote: “We feel bereft. We have lost a beloved father. Together, at one in the Church, we express our grief — and at the same time our unshakeable confidence in God’s uninterrupted agency through his holy Church. God calls us, as always, to conversion: to love in truth and to speak the truth in love.”

He added: “The fact that our Holy Father was called to God at Easter, while we exultantly celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection, is beautiful and moving. We see the darkness of the night illumined by the Paschal flame.”

“Pope Francis spent his life proclaiming the historical, ethical, and metaphysical impact of the Resurrection. He taught us to see, and to interpret, life’s circumstances in the light of Christ’s victory over death. This we will faithfully do.”

Other Christian communities mourn Pope Francis

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, the spiritual leader of the world’s Eastern Orthodox Christians, called Pope Francis “a precious brother in Christ” and “a true friend of Orthodoxy.”

“Throughout these 12 years of his papacy, he was a faithful friend, companion, and supporter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate… He left behind an example of genuine humility and brotherly love,” he said.

The Ecumenical Patriarch noted that he and Pope Francis had hoped to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea together in Turkey in 2025.

“It was not meant to be for him to come,” he commented.

In a notable development, a spokesman for the Moscow Patriarchate praised Pope Francis’ role in strengthening dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church.

Hieromonk Stefan Igumnov told TASS: “Communication between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Roman Catholic Church has been developing quite rapidly at all levels in recent years. The sides have engaged on a wide range of issues, including cooperation in the humanitarian area. The personality of Pope Francis was of significant importance in the development of that cooperation,”

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 strained relations between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Vatican. The Russian Orthodox Church expressed offense when Pope Francis said in an interview that Patriarch Kirill must not become “Putin’s altar boy.” But lower-level contacts continued and good relations were gradually restored.

The Coptic Orthodox Church, led Pope Tawadros II, said: “We offer our condolences to the clergy and members of the Catholic Church around the world, remembering this beloved servant and dear brother for his sincere love and true example of Christian humility, which he demonstrated throughout his fruitful journey of service.”

Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem said: “Even in frailty and suffering, the late Holy Father revealed the strength of true discipleship, embracing the Cross with humility and hope, teaching that the life of a Christian is one of sacrificial love.”

“His final wishes, for a funeral marked by simplicity and faith, reflect his soul’s devotion to the Risen Christ, and to the Church as a humble flock of believers, not as a worldly kingdom.”

This report is being updated.