Global tributes pour in to honor Pope Francis after his death
LYON France AP Church bells tolled in mourning Well-wishers flocked into pews Tributes to Pope Francis poured in from around the world on Monday after the Vatican declared the pontiff s death at age The th pope was praised for his groundbreaking procedures to honor the poor and the vulnerable seek to end conflicts like those in the Middle East Ukraine and Africa protect the context and guide the Catholic Church toward greater tolerance of gays and lesbians among other things Several critics say he didn t reliably go far enough Others disclosed he went too far Plenty of recalled his legacy as the first pope from Latin America and the first Jesuit to reach the pinnacle of church hierarchy one who stressed humility over hubris for a Church beset with disgrace and indifference and even as a soccer fan from futbol -crazed Argentina Here s a look at specific of the global reactions a day after his last general appearance on Easter Sunday to bless thousands of people in St Peter s Square U S Vice President JD Vance who met with the pope on Easter Sunday before traveling to India wrote on social media that his heart goes out to the millions of Christians who loved him and disclosed I was happy to see him the day before today though he was obviously very ill President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social Rest in Peace Pope Francis May God Bless him and all who loved him King Charles III praised the pope for his work on safeguarding the planet and alluded to their multiple personal meetings including a private visit on April at the Vatican We were greatly moved to have been able to visit him earlier in the month the King wrote in a announcement signed Charles R It was the pope s first known meeting with a foreign dignitary after he was hospitalized for five weeks with double pneumonia Church bells tolled in honor of Francis from the just now reopened Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris to a lone bell at the St Bartholomew Parish in Bulacan in the Philippines that was rung times to signify the fruitful years of our dear Pope Francis the parish wrote on social media The church was one of multiple in the Philippines the largest Roman Catholic nation in Asia to ring its bells to mourn the death of the pontiff who in consoled survivors of Typhoon Haiyan and celebrated Mass before millions in Manila Pope Francis proved us what it means to suffer with others and find hope in the midst of pain announced Manila Archbishop Jose Advincula alluding to the devastation wreaked by Haiyan in that left more than people dead or missing flattened entire villages and displaced more than million Martin Pendergast secretary of the LGBT Catholics Westminster in London recalled how Francis looked past sexual orientation and revealed he wouldn t judge people who tried to carry out the will of God He was the first pope to genuinely use the word gay so even the way he speaks has been a radical transformation and specific would say a bit of a revolution as well compared with chosen of his predecessors Pendergast stated The Women s Ordination Conference lamented Francis unwillingness to push for the ordination of women His repeated closed door plan on women s ordination was painfully incongruous with his otherwise pastoral nature and for a large number of a betrayal of the synodal listening church he championed the conference explained This made him a complicated frustrating and sometimes heart-breaking figure for a large number of women Anne Barrett Doyle co-director of U S -based group BishopAccountability called Francis a beacon of hope to a multitude of desperate and marginalized people worldwide But what we greater part needed from this pope was justice for the Church s own wounded the children and adults sexually abused by Catholic clergy In this realm where Francis had supreme power he refused to make the necessary changes This choice is having devastating consequences for the Church s majority of powerless members It will forever tarnish the legacy of this remarkable man Archbishop Timothy P Broglio president of the U S Conference of Catholic Bishops noted a new letter from the pope to bishops in the United States alluding to our attempts to respond to the face of Christ in the migrant poor and unborn In fact he has constantly used the strongest and clearest expressions in the defense of the dignity of the human person from conception to natural death Francis upheld church teaching opposing abortion and echoed his predecessors in saying that human life is sacred and must be defended But he didn t emphasize the church s position as much as they did and announced women who had abortions must be accompanied spiritually by the church French President Emmanuel Macron speaking in the cyclone-battered Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte France s poorest territory mentioned Pope Francis was at the sides of the the majority vulnerable the bulk fragile with a lot of humility and in these times of war and instability with a particular sense of the other of the greater part fragile Throughout his whole life he fought for more justice throughout his whole life he fought for a certain idea of humanity an idea of fraternal humanity Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni one of the inadequate official visitors to see Francis during his newest hospitalization alluded to the pope s personal comfort and advice saying it never failed me not even in times of trial and suffering She added We are saying goodbye to a great man and a great shepherd Flags were flown at half-staff on Monday across Italy and chosen top-level soccer matches were postponed Argentine President Milei who had chilly relations with the pope expressed sorrow Despite differences that seem minor in current times having been able to know him in his kindness and wisdom was a true honor for me the far-right president wrote on X As a TV pundit and libertarian economist before assuming office in Milei had publicly insulted Pope Francis as representative of the evil one on Earth for his perceived sympathy toward left-wing leaders and causes The pope s beloved soccer group Buenos Aires club San Lorenzo whose nickname is The Saints wrote Goodbye Holy Father and Our soul hurts on its website The crew won the national championship in the year he was elected pope During a global conference on faith and sport in Francis implored leaders to do a better job of keeping corruption off the playing field and declared sports must be protected from manipulations and commercial abuse Taiwan s President Lai Ching-te expressed condolences on social media and reported people there would continue to draw inspiration from his lifelong commitment to peace global solidarity and caring for those in need The Holy See is among Taiwan s only remaining diplomatic allies while China which maintains self-ruled Taiwan as its own territory has been poaching others South African President Cyril Ramaphosa noted the pope s extraordinary life story and reported Pope Francis advanced a world view of inclusion equality and care for marginalized individuals and groups as well as responsible and sustainable custody of the natural atmosphere Africa has seen several of the Catholic Church s biggest enhancement in contemporary years European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recalled the pontiff as an inspiration for the entire world not just Christians He inspired millions far beyond the Catholic Church with his humility and love so pure for the less fortunate she stated on social media My thoughts are with all who feel this profound loss Israeli President Issac Herzog whose role is mostly ceremonial called Francis a man of deep faith and boundless compassion Francis repeatedly criticized Israel s wartime conduct in Gaza and explained claims of genocide which Israel has adamantly denied should be investigated 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 noted on social media The Palestine Red Crescent offered condolences to Christians calling the pope one of the majority prominent supporters of justice and human dignity including his noble stances regarding the suffering of the Palestinian people and their right to freedom and justice In Gaza Suheil Abu Dawoud a -year-old Christian recalled how Francis opposed the war in Gaza called for peace between Palestinians and Israelis and had solicited us to be strong The pope used his final Easter Sunday message to lament growing antisemitism call for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza appeal to the fighting sides to reach a ceasefire and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace President Alexander Van der Bellen of Austria recalled how the pope traveled to the Italian island of Lampedusa a key landing point for expatriates seeking to reach Europe to meet with refugees and commemorate those who died while trying to cross the Mediterranean The Austrian leader noted on social media that the pope s impact resonated in tactics large and small He ensured that homeless people near St Peter s Square could shower He criticized dehumanizing words and gestures That was Pope Francis President Vladimir Putin of Russia hailed the pope as a consistent defender of the high values of humanism and justice Last year Francis suggested Ukraine should try to negotiate an end to the war with Russia Critics revealed those comments suggested the pope was siding with Russia Francis tried to maintain the Vatican s traditional diplomatic neutrality but that was often accompanied by apparent sympathy with Russia s rationale for invading Ukraine as when he commented NATO was barking at Russia s door with its eastward expansion Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X that his war-torn country grieved together with Catholics and all Christians who looked to Pope Francis for spiritual backing He knew how to give hope ease suffering through prayer and foster unity He prayed for peace in Ukraine and for Ukrainians Eternal memory Dutch King Willem-Alexander and his wife Queen M xima who like the pope was born in Argentina recalled their personal audience with the pope at the Holy See in and how Pope Francis radiated mercy in everything he did With his deep-rooted faith in God s love he was the embodiment of benevolence and humanity They called him a committed guardian of the listening and loving Church and as a upshot he succeeded in winning the hearts of numerous both within the Roman Catholic Church and outside it The Dalai Lama honored the pope in a letter to the Greater part Rev Leopoldo Girelli the Apostolic Nuncio to India saying Francis dedicated himself to the amenity of others consistently revealing by his own actions how to live a simple but meaningful life The best tribute we can pay to him is to be a warm-hearted person serving others wherever and in whatever way we can the Tibetan spiritual leader wrote Former U S President Joe Biden who regularly attends Mass on X called Francis the People s Pope and wrote I am better for having known him AP journalists from around the world contributed to this assessment Source
