By Mercy Gadia Adi
Pope Francis, the 88-year-old leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has passed away on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025.
The Vatican announced his death at 07:35 local time, sparking an outpouring of tributes and condolences from world leaders and citizens alike.
“His commitment to peace, social justice, and the most vulnerable leaves a profound legacy,” said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in a statement. “Rest in peace.”
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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described Pope Francis as a “great man” who had “asked the world, once again, for the courage to change direction, to follow a path that ‘does not destroy, but cultivates, repairs, protects’.”
In his final message, read on his behalf by an aide on Easter Sunday, Pope Francis emphasized the importance of freedom of religion, thought, and expression. “There can be no peace without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression,” he said.
The Pope’s death comes during a special jubilee year, which began on December 24, 2024, and is expected to draw millions of pilgrims to the Vatican.
As news of his passing spread, world leaders and dignitaries paid tribute to his legacy. French President Emmanuel Macron described Pope Francis as a “man of humility, on the side of the most vulnerable and most fragile.”
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, who is the acting head of the Church of England, remembered Pope Francis as a “holy man of God” who was “also very human.” “He was witty, lively, good to be with, and the warmth of his personality and interest in others shone out from him,” Cottrell said.
Pope Francis’s death marks the end of an era for the Catholic Church. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he became the first Latin American leader of the Church in 2013. His papacy was marked by a commitment to social justice, compassion, and humility.
As the world mourns the passing of Pope Francis, his legacy will continue to inspire millions of people around the globe.