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TRIBUTES AS POPE FRANCIS DIES AT 88
Pope Francis, whose time as head of the Catholic Church was noted for humility and outreach efforts to people of disparate backgrounds and faiths, has died at 88, the Vatican has confirmed.
The Argentinian national was known as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, when he was elected the Catholic Church’s 266th supreme pontiff — and the first ever from Latin America — on March 13, 2013, replacing the retiring Pope Benedict XVI.
He took the name Francis after the medieval friar St. Francis of Assisi, the well-known patron saint of animals and the environment who lived a life of poverty and ministered to the poor. Like his namesake, Pope Francis was known for living a humble life and eschewing the pomp of his predecessors.
Francis’ death on Monday comes after a series of worsening health problems, including a respiratory crisis that left him in critical condition in recent months.
As the leader of the Catholic Church, Francis captured the imaginations of believers and non-believers alike, with his populist style giving the church’s message of social justice far greater resonance than that of many of his predecessors.
Tributes to Pope Francis poured in on Monday, as presidents, prime ministers and other world leaders reacted to the news of his death.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Francis for wanting “Church to bring joy and hope to the poorest.”
“From Buenos Aires to Rome, Pope Francis wanted the Church to bring joy and hope to the poorest. May it unite people with each other and with nature. May this hope continually revive beyond him,” Macron said in a statement in French. “My wife and I send our thoughts to all Catholics and to the grieving world.”
“A man of deep faith and boundless compassion, he dedicated his life to uplifting the poor and calling for peace in a troubled world,” Herzog’s statement read in part.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said Francis’ “contagious smile captured millions of people’s hearts across the globe”
“Europe mourns the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. His contagious smile captured millions of people’s hearts across the globe,” he said. “‘The People’s Pope’ will be remembered for his love for life, hope for peace, compassion for equality & social justice. May he rest in peace.”
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said Francis was “a leader who recognised the burning issues of our day and called attention to them” “and that he was “in every way a man of the people.”
“The global Catholic community bids farewell to a leader who recognised the burning issues of our day and called attention to them,” Schoof said. “With his sober way of life, acts of service and compassion, Pope Francis was a role model for many – Catholics and non-Catholics alike. We remember him with great respect.”
