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LAST UPDATE | 21 Apr
TRIBUTES HAVE BEEN paid to Pope Francis following his death aged 88.
The pontiff had been unwell for some time. In February, he was admitted to hospital in Rome for double pneumonia, where he spent five weeks before being discharged to convalesce.
In recent weeks, Francis was spotted out around Rome and attending various religious events. Yesterday, he appeared at the celebrations for Easter Sunday in Rome in his final public appearance.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that it was “with profound sadness” that the world had learned of the pope’s passing.
On behalf of the government and people of Ireland, Martin offered his condolences to “all who mourn him”, including “the Catholic community worldwide that has lost an exceptional leader”.
Martin said that Francis holds a “special place” in the hearts of Irish people, and mentioned his visit to Ireland in 2018. During the trip, Martin had met with him in Dublin Castle, and said today that he was “impressed by his vision of a Catholic Church that is open, compassionate, and focused on the needs of the most vulnerable”.
“Pope Francis’s legacy is his message of peace, reconciliation, and solidarity that lives in the hearts of those he inspired,” Martin concluded.
“May he rest in peace, and may his memory continue to guide us as we strive to build a world that reflects his vision of love and compassion for all.”
A statement from the Tánaiste said similar of Francis’s time serving as the pontiff, also mentioning the 2018 visit to Ireland, as Simon Harris extended his own condolences.
He said that the pope had worked to make the Catholic Church “more inclusive, promoting reconciliation, unity, and compassion over division”.
“Pope Francis’ influence transcended the Vatican, offering moral leadership during times of uncertainty. His teachings on poverty, migration, and refugees remain relevant as we confront global inequality and division.
“Pope Francis bore his illness with great dignity and courage. As so many people in Ireland and as Christians across the world mourn his loss, we find strength in his message of hope, mercy, and compassion, which will continue to inspire us to build a better world for all,” Harris said.
President Michael D Higgins, who had met with the pope on five occasions through Francis’s papacy, issued a lengthy statement on the pope’s death and his impact.
“As President of Ireland, may I join with all those across the world, from their different stations in life, who have expressed such profound sadness on learning of the death of Pope Francis.”
Higgins said that Francis had spoken out on “the vital issues of our time” – such as global hunger and poverty, climate change, justice, the plight of migrants and indigenous people, the dispossessed, and the need for global peace and diplomacy.
He commended Francis for the discussions the two had had during Francis’s visits to Ireland and Higgins’s reciprocal visits to Rome.
“During his visit to Ireland, Pope Francis spoke of the scandal of child abuse, including in the Church, and its consequences for victims and families. On such matters, and on others such as attitudes towards women and those of the LGBTQ+ community within the Church, Pope Francis sought to play a positive role.
“I recall at the end of our meetings he would say as to his work on such issues, ‘it is very difficult’, as he asked for and offered prayers. It is important that the steps he took are built upon as they constitute a source of hope in the years to come,” Higgins said.
He expressed his condolences.
Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland Eamon Martin spoke to RTÉ in the immediate aftermath of the announcement of the pope’s death.
Martin had a close relationship with the pontiff, and the two would communicate frequently on matters of faith. He has previously said that the pope would ask for updates on the Irish peace process.
Speaking this morning, Martin said, “How would I describe this man? I would say he was a man of God, and I mean that in a very special sense, because he tried to give all of us and to give his church the right image of who God is.”
He told a short anecdote about a time that the pope had been driving through St Peter’s Square when he spotted a man with an “extraordinary disease” on his face.
“He stopped the car and got out, and he didn’t say to whoever was with him what happened to him. He kissed him,” Martin said.
He was absolutely unpredictable and in some ways unmanageable, but on the other hand, he, as I say, [was a] Man of God. He rose every morning at four o’clock. He was saying his prayers. You know, he led a simple life.”
Martin said that the pope was a courageous, principled man of God who was “extraordinary” in his beliefs and actions.
Archbishop of Dublin Dermot Farrell said that his thoughts were with the pope.
“Since his election in 2013, he’s brought a great energy and vitality to the Church throughout that ministry, right up until yesterday, when he appeared on the balcony of St Peters to wish all of the pilgrims who had traveled to Rome… a very happy and joyous Easter.
Literally, a man who died with his boots on.”
Like many others paying tribute, the Archbishop highlighted the pope’s progressiveness in the role in comparison to his predecessors.
“He had that, but I would describe, I think, as a freshness that he brought to the papacy, but he also had a very radical freedom to do things that his predecessors hadn’t done,” Farrell said.
Farrell added that despite “mistakes” that the pope may have made in his life, mentioning that the pope would likely have admitted himself that he was “harsh” when acting as Superior Leader of the Jesuits in Argentina, he ultimately learned from them.
Leader of the opposition, Sinn Féin TD Mary Lou McDonald, praised Francis for his actions during his state visit in 2018, and more recently his dedication to opposing the wars ongoing in Gaza and Ukraine.
“Pope Francis will also be remembered for standing up for peace and justice in the face of global tension, instability and militarism – including unjust and illegal wars in Palestine, and Ukraine. Even while he was in hospital, he maintained almost nightly phone calls to a parish in Gaza City and he was resolute in his solidarity with the people of Gaza,” she said.
World leaders have issued their condolences and praise for the Argentinian pontiff. Heads of state from India, Italy, France, Iran, and Spain have all commented on the occasion, while tributes continue to flood in.
US President Donald Trump wrote a clipped tribute on Truth Social this afternoon: “Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!”
Trump’s Vice President JD Vance yesterday met the pope in Rome just before the pontiff’s appearance at celebrations for Easter Sunday. The two met for several minutes, the Vatican said.
Today, Vance posted to X, “I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him.
“I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful.
“May God rest his soul.”
Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, posted a picture of himself sitting opposite the pope on X accompanied by a glowing statement.
“It is with great sadness that Jill and I learned of the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. He was unlike any who came before him.
“Pope Francis will be remembered as one of the most consequential leaders of our time and I am better for having known him,” Biden said.
He added that Francis had promoted equity and an end to poverty and suffering across the world.
“He was the People’s Pope – a light of faith, hope, and love.”
Biden’s predecessor Barack Obama did similar, posting an image of himself shaking hands with the pontiff and expressing his condolences on behalf of himself and his wife Michelle.
“Pope Francis was the rare leader who made us want to be better people,” Obama said. He highlighted some of Francis’s actions that he said showed his “humility”.
“Today, Michelle and I mourn with everyone around the world – Catholic and non-Catholic alike – who drew strength and inspiration from the Pope’s example. May we continue to heed his call to ‘never remain on the sidelines of this march of living hope.’”
In Europe, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that Francis “inspired millions, far beyond the Catholic Church, with his humility and love so pure for the less fortunate,” in a post to X.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that Francis had always fought for justice and was always on the side of the most vulnerable. He offered his “most sincere condolences to Catholics the world over”.
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