WORLD leaders remembered Pope Francis as “a beacon of compassion”, as the death on Monday of the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics prompted a global outpouring of grief.
Here are some of the first reactions to the death of the 88-year-old pontiff:
‘Rest in Peace’: Trump
“Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!,” US President Donald Trump, who clashed with the Argentine pontiff on a number of issues, wrote on his Truth Social platform.
‘Prayed for peace in Ukraine’: Zelensky
Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelensky said Francis “prayed for peace in Ukraine and for Ukrainians”.
“We grieve together with Catholics and all Christians,” Zelensky wrote on social media.
‘Defender of justice’: Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Francis was a “wise” religious leader, a “statesman” and a “consistent defender of the high values of humanism and justice,” who “actively promoted dialogue between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches”.
‘Consequential leader’: Biden
Former US president Joe Biden said Francis was “unlike any who came before him”, hailing his record of fighting for peace and equity.
“Pope Francis will be remembered as one of the most consequential leaders of our time and I am better for having known him,” Biden, a staunch Catholic, wrote on X alongside a picture of him and the Pope.
‘Courageous’: Britain
“His leadership in a complex and challenging time for the world and the church was courageous, yet always came from a place of deep humility,” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.
King Charles, who is also the head of the Church of England, said he was “deeply saddened” by Francis’s death, adding: “Through his work and care for both people and planet, he profoundly touched the lives of so many”.
Wise despite ‘differences’: Argentina’s leader
“In spite of differences that today seem minor, to have known him in his goodness and wisdom was a true honor for me,” Argentine President Javier Milei posted on X of his countryman Francis.
‘Dialogue between faiths’: Turkey –
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan praised Francis as a “respected statesman”. The leader of the Muslim-majority nation also called Francis “a spiritual leader who placed great importance on dialogue between different faith groups”, who took “initiative in the face of humanitarian tragedies, especially the Palestinian issue”. — AFP
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