Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy led tributes to Pope Francis from political leaders around the world on Monday, praising him as “a great man and a great pastor.” Several paid homage to the pope’s commitment to speaking out on behalf of the poor.
“I had the privilege of enjoying his friendship, his advice and his teachings, which never failed even in moments of trial and suffering,” said Ms. Meloni, who visited Francis while he was hospitalized in February.
She said in a post on social media that the pope had called the world 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.”Italy’s government said it would fly flags at half-mast as a gesture of mourning.
President Trump issued a message of condolence on social media saying: “Rest in Peace Pope Francis. May God Bless him and all who loved him.”
The White House had earlier issued a similar message as well as a picture of Mr. Trump and Melania Trump meeting with Francis, and a separate picture of Vice President JD Vance with the pope. The American president and Melania met Francis in 2017, during Mr. Trump’s first presidency, while Mr. Vance had an audience with Francis on Sunday.
President Emmanuel Macron of France said that Francis had brought joy and hope to the world’s poorest.
“From Buenos Aires to Rome, Pope Francis wanted the Church to bring joy and hope to the poorest,” Mr. Macron said in a message on social media. Francis, the world’s first pope from Latin America, was born in Buenos Aires and was later archbishop there. Mr. Macron said his thoughts were with Catholics around the world who were grieving.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia also made reference to the pope’s birthplace, pointing out that he was the first Catholic leader from the Southern Hemisphere. As such, he said, Francis was “close to the people of Australia.”
“For Australian Catholics, he was a devoted champion and loving father,” Mr. Albanese said in a statement.
President Andrzej Duda of Poland, a country where the Catholic church is deeply implanted in society, noted how Francis had been guided by humility and simplicity throughout his pastoral ministry. “He was a great apostle of mercy, in which he saw an answer to the challenges of the modern world,” Mr. Duda said in a statement on social media.
Poland’s connection to the church deepened in the latter part of the 20th century because of the influential leadership of Pope John Paul II, who was born in Poland and led the church from 1978 until his death in 2005.
Francis’ papacy has seen a growth of the Catholic church in parts of Africa, part of a broader expansion of Christianity on the continent in recent decades. President William Ruto of Kenya said that Francis had inspired millions of people across the world.
“He exemplified servant leadership through his humility, his unwavering commitment to inclusivity and justice, and his deep compassion for the poor and the vulnerable,” Mr. Ruto said in a message on social media. Francis visited Kenya during a tour of parts of Africa in 2015.
Britain’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, described Francis’ leadership as courageous and also noted his concern for “the poor, the downtrodden and the forgotten.”
Echoing the theme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India said that Francis would be remembered as a “beacon of compassion” and praised him for always looking out for the marginalized.
For his part, President Isaac Herzog of Israel offered condolences to Christian communities in Israel and called Francis a man of deep faith.
“He rightly saw great importance in fostering strong ties with the Jewish world and in advancing interfaith dialogue,” Mr. Herzog said on social media. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, ruler of Dubai, said he was deeply saddened by news of the death.
The Holy See is one of around a dozen governments that have official diplomatic ties with Taiwan and the island’s president, Lai Ching-te of Taiwan, sent condolences.
Francis spoke frequently about migrants and refugees, urging compassion in comments that sometimes contradicted those of political leaders. It was a subject of his final public address, read by an aide at St Peter’s Square on Sunday.
Filippo Grandi, the head of the U.N. refugee agency, noted in a post on social media that Francis had advocated “relentlessly for the poor, the persecuted, the victims of war, the refugees, the migrants.”
During his papacy, Francis traveled frequently. President Jose Ramos-Horta of East Timor, who met the pontiff last September during a papal visit to the country, said in an email to The New York Times that Francis’ death was the “greatest loss for humanity at a time when the world is in turmoil for lack of wise and compassionate leadership.”
In 2015, Francis visited Sri Lanka, where the Catholic church is an important voice as the country emerges from decades of civil war. The country’s president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, mourned the loss of a man he said had shown an “unwavering commitment to peace. Sri Lanka was hit by deadly attacks on Easter Sunday in 2019.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said in a message on X that the pope had “inspired millions, far beyond the Catholic Church, with his humility and love.”
Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said she had met the pope recently and noted his “strong leadership in protecting the most vulnerable & defending human dignity.
Amelia Nierenberg Vivian Nereim Stephen CastleSui-Lee Wee Mujib Mashal
