Pope Francis is dead at the age of
88, the Vatican said Monday.
The 88-year-old Argentine pontiff, who became pope in March
2013, had recently spent 38 days in hospital fighting
life-threatening pneumonia.
He had been minimally involved in Easter rites spurring hopes he
was on the mend though had not delivered keynote speeches
himself.
Card. Kevin Farrell announced with sorrow the death of Pope
Francis, with these words: "Dearest brothers and sisters, with
deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father
Francis.
"At 7:35 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 favor of the poorest
and most marginalized.
"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".
Tributes began to flow in immediately, from Italian officials
including President Sergio Mattarella, Premier Giorgia Meloni,
and Foreign Minister Anrtonio Tajani, from Italian bishops chief
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, and on the world stage from European
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President
Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, US Vice
President JD Vance, and Iran.
Mattarella said that he felt a great void and that Francis had
been a reference point for him personally.
In a statement, the Italian head of State said: "I learned with
great personal pain the news of the death of Pope Francis,
feeling the serious void that is created by the loss of the
point of reference that he has always represented for me. "The
death of Pope Francis arouses pain and emotion among Italians
and throughout the world. His teaching has recalled the
evangelical message, solidarity among men, the duty of closeness
to the weakest, international cooperation, peace in humanity.
Gratitude towards him must be translated with the responsibility
to work, as he has constantly done, for these objectives".
Meloni voiced "deep grief" and said "a great man has left us.
"The whole world will remember Francis for being the Pope of the
people, the Pope of the least ones", Meloni told Tg1.
In an emotional voice the Prime Minister added that "I will miss
him too, we had an extraordinary personal relationship, he was a
pontiff with whom you could talk about everything, he was very
special".
In a statement, the premier repeated that Francis had been a
great man and a great shepherd and "we will walk in his
direction, he gave a change of direction for peace".
"Pope Francis has returned to the house of the Father. This
news saddens us deeply, because a great man and a great shepherd
has left us.
"I had the privilege of enjoying his friendship, his advice and
his teachings, which never failed even in moments of trial and
suffering. "In the meditations of the Via Crucis, 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 to change
direction, to travel a path that "does not destroy, but
cultivates, repairs, protects.
"We will walk in this direction, to seek the path of peace,
pursue the common good and build a more just and equitable
society. His teaching and his legacy will not be lost. We salute
the Holy Father with hearts full of sadness, but we know that he
is now in the peace of the Lord."
Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Tajani said
that Francis had returned to the House of the Father.
"Pope Francis has returned to the House of the Father. Care for
Creation, Mercy, brotherhood: he was a great Pontiff. A friend
of Italy. Let us pray for him and for the future of the entire
Catholic Church. Holy Father, may he protect us from up there",
he wrote on X.
The president of the Italian Bishops Conference (CEI), Cardinal
Zuppi, said Francis's death was a painful moment for the entire
Catholic Church.
"It is a painful moment and of great suffering for the entire
Church," said Zuppi.
"We entrust our beloved Pope Francis to the Lord's embrace, in
the certainty, as he himself taught us, that 'everything is
revealed in mercy; everything is resolved in the merciful love
of the Father'.
"I ask all the Churches in Italy that the church bells be rung
as a sign of mourning and that moments of personal and community
prayer be encouraged, in communion among ourselves and with the
universal Church".
Von der Leyen wrote on X: "Today the world mourns the passing of
Pope Francis. He inspired millions, far beyond the Catholic
Church, with his humility and his pure love for those less
fortunate. My thoughts are with all who feel this profound loss.
May they find comfort in the knowledge that Pope Francis' legacy
will continue to guide us all toward a more just, peaceful and
compassionate world."
Macron wrote on X: "From Buenos Aires to Rome, Pope Francis
wanted the Church to bring joy and hope to the poorest. To unite
men with each other and with nature. May this hope always be
resurrected beyond him.
"To all Catholics, to the world in mourning, my wife and I
express all our thoughts".
Merz said Francis's actions had been guided by "humility and
faith".
Vance, a practising Catholic who met Framcis in the Vatican over
Easter, said: "I just learned of the death of Pope Francis. My
thoughts go out to the millions of Christians around the world
who loved him. I was happy to see him yesterday, even though he
was very sick. But I will always remember him for his homilies
in the early days of Covid. He was truly wonderful."
An Iranian spokesman voiced Tehran's condolences for Francis's
death.
The first security measures have already kicked in in Rome for
the death of Pope Francis. After a call between the Prefect and
the Police Chief of Rome, the plan kicked in with contingents of
the Police Forces that have converged in the area of St. Peter's
Square. The Prefect of Rome has urgently convened the Provincial
Committee for Public Order and Security
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