(RNS) — Leaders from across the world, religious and political, are responding to the death of Pope Francis on Monday (April 21). Here’s what they said.
President Donald Trump
“Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!”
Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
“Pope Francis will long be remembered for his outreach to those on the margins of the Church and of society. He renewed for us the mission to bring the Gospel out to the ends of the earth and offer divine mercy to all. … Even with his roots in the Piedmont region of Italy, the first Pope from our American Continent was marked by his experience as a Jesuit and a shepherd in Buenos Aires. He brought that experience and vision with him to his ministry for the universal Church. Recently, he expressed a new prayerful hope in his letter of support to the Bishops of this country in our attempts to respond to the face of Christ in the migrant, poor, and unborn. In fact, he has always used the strongest and clearest expressions in the defense of the dignity of the human person from conception to natural death.”
Vice President J.D. Vance
“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.”
A photograph of the late Pope Francis is placed at Saint Anthony Catholic Church in Istanbul, Turkey, after the announcement of his death, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
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Joe Biden, 46th U.S. president
“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. For decades, he served the most vulnerable across Argentina and his mission of serving the poor never ceased. As Pope, he was a loving pastor and challenging teacher who reached out to different faiths. He commanded us to fight for peace and protect our planet from a climate crisis. He advocated for the voiceless and powerless. He made all feel welcome and seen by the Church. He promoted equity and an end to poverty and suffering across the globe. And above all, he was a Pope for everyone. He was the People’s Pope – a light of faith, hope, and love.”
Charles III, king of the United Kingdom
“My wife and I were most deeply saddened to learn of the death of Pope Francis. … His Holiness will be remembered for his compassion, his concern for the unity of the Church and for his tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith, and to those of goodwill who work for the benefit of others. His belief that care for Creation is an existential expression of faith in God resounded with so many across the world. … We send our most heartfelt condolences and profound sympathy to the Church he served with such resolve and to the countless people around the world who, inspired by his life, will be mourning the devastating loss of this faithful follower of Jesus Christ.”
Peter Isely, a founder and chair of global advocacy at the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP)
“Francis began his papacy by promising us and the world that he would put an end to clergy abuse and cover-up. If we had known then what we know now — that he himself covered up sexual crimes in Argentina before becoming pope and that, for twelve years, he failed to use his authority to implement a universal zero-tolerance policy — we would have felt very differently. That’s why we launched Conclave Watch — to make sure survivors and the public know exactly who these papal contenders are, what they’ve done, and whether they can be trusted to finally deliver on the promises of reform that Francis failed to keep.”
World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder
“It is with great sadness that I join people around the world in mourning the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis, a true moral leader, a man of deep faith and humanity, and a steadfast friend to the Jewish people. From his early years in Argentina to his papacy, Pope Francis was deeply committed to fostering interfaith dialogue and ensuring that the memory of the Holocaust remained a guiding lesson for future generations. Under his leadership, the relationship between the Holy See and the World Jewish Congress flourished, culminating in the establishment of a WJC office on Via della Conciliazione, just steps from St. Peter’s Basilica — a testament to our shared commitment to dialogue, understanding and mutual respect. … While there were moments of difficulty, particularly in recent months, I remain deeply appreciative of his warmth, humility and unwavering dedication to meaningful engagement between faith communities.”
Johnnie Moore, evangelical leader and former U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom commissioner
“Evangelicals pray for the Catholic Church, as they mourn the passing of Pope Francis and prepare to select his successor. As an evangelical, I participated in Pope Francis’ historic pilgrimages to the United Arab Emirates … and also to the Kingdom of Bahrain …. I am so grateful for his historic efforts to build bridges between Catholics and Muslim countries, an effort which helped all Christians. In my view this is his greatest legacy & it is a legacy he shares with the wise leaders of these two countries who extended the invitation to him and gave him a welcome unrivaled in their history. Pope Frances was also an unrelenting advocate for persecuted Christians but especially in Iraq and in Syria when ISIS was at its height.”
Pilgrims, one holding a cross, walk in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican after Cardinal Camerlengo Kevin Joseph Farrell announced the death of Pope Francis, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Sheikh Ahmed El Tayyeb, grand imam of al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
“Today, the world bids farewell to a distinguished humanitarian and dear friend, His Holiness Pope Francis, the Pope of the Catholic Church, a man who dedicated his life to serving humanity, advocating for the oppressed, refugees, and the marginalized, and promoting dialogue and understanding among religions and cultures. He was a true friend to Muslims, sincere in his pursuit of peace. It is remembered with deep respect that among his final statements was a powerful defense of Palestine and the oppressed people of Gaza. His tireless efforts significantly advanced Muslim-Christian dialogue, culminating in our signing of the historic Document on Human Fraternity in 2019.”
Narendra Modi, prime minister of India
“Deeply pained by the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. In this hour of grief and remembrance, my heartfelt condolences to the global Catholic community. Pope Francis will always be remembered as a beacon of compassion, humility and spiritual courage by millions across the world. From a young age, he devoted himself towards realizing the ideals of Lord Christ. He diligently served the poor and downtrodden. For those who were suffering, he ignited a spirit of hope.”
Francis DeBernardo, executive director, New Ways Ministry, a U.S. Catholic organization providing support to LGBTQ+ Catholics
“Francis was not only the first pope to use the word ‘gay’ when speaking about LGBTQ+ people, he was the first pope to speak lovingly and tenderly to them. His kind words of welcome to this community, traditionally marginalized in the church, rang loudly around the globe. … Even with his many groundbreaking milestones, Pope Francis did have areas where his welcome was not as wide as it could have been. In the area of gender identity and transgender issues, the pontiff adhered closely to the male-female gender binary, referring to any newer understandings of gender identity as ‘gender ideology’ or ‘ideological colonization.’ His misunderstanding and mischaracterization of gender identity did not, however, prevent Pope Francis from reaching out with compassion to transgender people, continually calling for people to respect the inherent human dignity of these minorities.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
“I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. Throughout his life, Pope Francis sought to serve the poor and vulnerable, demonstrating immense sympathy for those suffering under the heavy weight of warfare, persecution, and injustice. He was a man of compassion, humility, and faith who strived to build bridges between people of different faiths and beliefs. During his Papacy, Pope Francis received representatives of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community with warmth and grace at the Vatican, for which we will always be grateful. On behalf of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, I extend our sincere condolences to the Catholic Church and its members around the world.”
U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana
“Today, our prayers are with all those mourning the passing of Pope Francis. As the leader of the Catholic Church, he impacted the lives of countless people across the globe. May he rest in peace.”
U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-California
“It is with immense sadness that Paul and I join our fellow Catholics and people of faith around the world in mourning the loss of Pope Francis: a beacon of charity, hope and love for all people of faith. His Holiness rekindled the faith of Catholics worldwide, with a triumphant message of peace that has inspired a generation.”
Sen. the Rev. Raphael Warnock, D-Georgia
“As a longtime admirer of the Pope and his work to center the poor and marginalized, I was honored to meet him and pray with him last year. I join all those across the world mourning his death and celebrating his remarkable life.”
Rabbi Noam Marans, American Jewish Committee director of interreligious affairs
“In this sixtieth anniversary year of Nostra Aetate, as we celebrate the positive transformation of Catholic-Jewish relations and AJC’s unique leadership on that path, we must also address the challenges that lie ahead. In that spirit, we are grateful for Pope Francis’s indispensable leadership and contributions in this shared journey. We stand in solidarity with our Catholic brothers and sisters during this time of mourning. May the memory of Pope Francis be for a blessing.”
Chris Wimbush, Catholics for Choice interim president
“Pope Francis brought the church forward on a host of critical issues, calling attention to climate change and economic inequality in a way unlike his predecessors. … He accomplished all of this despite unprecedented and unprincipled opposition from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and some U.S. political leaders, making his work even more impressive. For so many of us, Pope Francis embodied a church that is humble and capable of change. … Pope Francis was by no means a perfect pope — and he would be the first to admit that. On issues of gender and sexuality, Pope Francis still fell short, failing to engage the various nuances and complexities of both in the way that a 21st-century pope must. … We join with Catholics worldwide in mourning his passing, and we pray that the College of Cardinals will honor his legacy by choosing a successor who will continue his progressive path forward.”
Rev. Robert A. Dowd, Notre Dame University president
“Through his heroic and prophetic ministry, he has inspired and challenged us to respect the God-given dignity of all people and the integrity of creation. The Holy Father’s life and witness call us to awaken from indifference to the suffering of others, to embrace our responsibilities to one another and to be agents of faith, hope and love for a world in need. As Pope Francis often reminded us, no one is far from God’s merciful love, and the Church must be a ‘field hospital’ to warm hearts, heal wounds and open doors.”
Kelly Ryan, president of Jesuit Refugee Service/USA
“We find some consolation in understanding he is at peace, and of course in knowing his soul lives on, but his heart for migrants and refugees helped give us strength in our work. We will honor his legacy by continuing that work in earnest in these challenging times for our world.”
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism
“On behalf of the Union for Reform Judaism – and with profound sadness – I extend our condolences to the Catholic community worldwide on the passing of Pope Francis, a visionary leader whose commitment to compassion, justice, and interfaith understanding has profoundly impacted our world. … The relationship between the Catholic and Jewish communities flourished under Pope Francis’ guidance. He honored the shared heritage of our faiths and took meaningful steps to heal historical wounds, reinforcing a path toward mutual respect and collaboration. We especially appreciated Pope Francis’s consistent calls for dialogue and mutual respect between Israelis and Palestinians, emphasizing the necessity of a two-state solution that ensures security and self-determination for both peoples. … Pope Francis’ legacy will transcend religious boundaries. He reminded us of our shared responsibility to uphold human dignity, pursue justice, and strive for peace. In his memory, we reaffirm our commitment to these enduring values.”
U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Connecticut
“Pope Francis was an extraordinary individual who reminded us all of the rich history of the Catholic Church on social justice, and especially our moral commitment to help the poor and vulnerable. I was honored to be part of the congressional delegation representing the United States at his installation in 2013, a moment that marked the beginning of a papacy defined by compassion, humility, and a tireless pursuit of justice. He challenged global leaders to confront issues of injustice, inequality, and the climate crisis with urgency. He uplifted the dignity of workers and spoke powerfully against economies that leave too many behind. He leaves a legacy that will endure far beyond his time. I am praying for Catholics around the world who have been touched by his example. May he rest in peace.”
Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, Archbishop of Newark
“With profound sorrow and heartfelt gratitude, I join the Church in mourning the death of our beloved Holy Father, Pope Francis, a shepherd who walked closely with God’s people and never tired of reminding us of God’s mercy. He was a man of deep faith, profound humility, and unshakable hope — a servant whose tireless call to care for the poor and the marginalized will continue to inspire the Church for generations to come.”
“The Coptic Orthodox Church, headed by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, mourns the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis I, Pope of the Vatican, who departed today at the age of 88 years, after dedicating his life to serving the Catholic Church, both in Argentina and during the 12 years he sat on the Apostolic Throne of Rome. We offer our condolences to the clergy and members of the Catholic Church around the world, remembering this beloved servant and dear brother for his sincere love and true example of Christian humility, which he demonstrated throughout his fruitful journey of service.”
Most Rev. William T. McGrattan, president of Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
“Over the past 88 years of his Petrine Ministry, his pastoral witness and leadership of the Catholic Church as the 266th Successor of Saint Peter marked the Church, the world and our Canadian society with the values of the Gospel. Francis’ frequent consoling image of the Church as ‘a field hospital’ brought us a message of hope, peace, compassion and mercy. He desired the Church to be close to the people, to be present in ways that reflected the mercy, forgiveness and care of Christ. … Let us give thanks to God for giving us such a good shepherd, an eloquent teacher of the joy of the Gospel, a humble witness, and a fellow pilgrim of hope.”
Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
“We pray that Francis’ soul rest in peace.”
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