King Charles leads tributes to Pope Francis following death at 88 on Easter Monday

Tributes have been paid to Pope Francis following his death at the age of 88.

King Charles hailed the Pope for touching “the lives of so many” and for his “tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith”.

The King and Queen met Pope Francis earlier this month, during a visit to Italy.

The Union flag will be flown at half-mast at royal residences where the King is not in residence.

Sombre music will play at the Changing of the Guard ceremony to reflect “the sadness of the occasion”, a royal source said.

The leader of Catholics in England and Wales said he was “a voice proclaiming the innate dignity of every human being”.

A senior Vatican official announced the pontiff died on Monday morning at the age of 88.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, and Archbishop of Westminster, said: “The death of Pope Francis brings great sadness to so many around the world, both within the Catholic Church and in societies in general.

“A voice proclaiming the innate dignity of every human being, especially those who are poor or marginalised, is now silent. The legacy he leaves is one we must seek to carry forward and strengthen.”

‘A voice for peace, tolerance and reconciliation’

Politicians and religious leaders in Scotland have paid tribute to Pope Francis following his death on Easter Monday.

First Minister John Swinney said it was with “deep sadness” he had learned of the Pope’s death, while the Most Reverend Leo Cushley, the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, said he was “deeply saddened”.

Swinney said: “I am deeply saddened to learn that His Holiness Pope Francis has died. He was a voice for peace, tolerance and reconciliation in our society.”

“A trailblazer as the first Pope in history from the southern hemisphere, His Holiness’ belief in the goodness of people was as unshakeable as his devotion to the Church. He was held in affection by so many for his humility, and his ability to connect with people of all ages, nationalities and beliefs.

“His Holiness was outspoken on many of the pressing issues of our time such as climate change, the death penalty and the rise of artificial intelligence. He would regularly engage with world leaders and hold them to account for their words and actions.

“Pope Francis recognised and championed the virtue of compassion and advocated for poor and marginalised communities across the world. He brought comfort, assurance and hope to many.

“I know people will take comfort from the solidarity of their communities at this very difficult time. I share the sorrow of the Catholic community, in Scotland and worldwide, in mourning the loss of His Holiness. May he rest in peace.”

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also said he was “deeply saddened to hear of the death of His Holiness Pope Francis”.

“The Holy Father dedicated his life to serving the poor and dispossessed. My thoughts are with Scotland’s Catholic communities and Catholics worldwide,” he said.

Archbishop Cushley said Francis had “shared Christ’s mercy and compassion to all, especially the poor and the vulnerable”, and “worked tirelessly, often through illness and infirmity, to seek unity in a divided world”.

Archbishop of Glasgow William Nolan said he shared the “sense of loss of millions of people around the globe at the passing of Pope Francis”.

He added that “the whole Church, and indeed the wider world, should be very grateful to God for the gift of this Pope”, saying that while “at times” he had been “controversial”, Francis had been “a blessing for the Church and for wider society”.

He continued: “He will be remembered for many things … but his emphasis on the great love and mercy of God and his reminder to the Church that it should always bring God’s mercy and love to all was perhaps his most repeated call”.

The Right Reverend Dr Shaw Paterson, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, expressed his condolences to the Catholic Church in Scotland.

He urged that the “blessed memory of Francis continue to serve as an example to the faithful people of God in our shared pilgrimage and in our common task of caring for God’s creation”.

Speaking about the Pope, he added: “May he rest in peace.”

Keir Starmer described Francis as a pope “for the poor, the downtrodden and the forgotten”.

The Prime Minister added: “I join millions around the world in grieving the death of His Holiness Pope Francis. His leadership in a complex and challenging time for the world and the church was often courageous, yet always came from a place of deep humility. Pope Francis was a pope for the poor, the downtrodden and the forgotten.

“He was close to the realities of human fragility, meeting Christians around the world facing war, famine, persecution and poverty. Yet he never lost the faith-fuelled hope of a better world.

“That hope was as the heart of his papacy. His determination to visibly live out his faith inspired people across the world to see afresh the church’s teachings of mercy and charity.

“With his death, we are reminded once more of his call to care for one another across different faiths, backgrounds, nations and beliefs. My thoughts are with Catholics across the world, and the Roman Catholic church. May His Holiness Rest in Peace.”

Irish President Michael D Higgins said Pope Francis sought to play a “positive role” on issues such as the role of women and the LGBT+ community in the Catholic Church.

He said that during the Pope’s 2018 visit to Ireland, as part of the World Meeting of Families, 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,” Mr Higgins said.

“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.

“In paying tribute to Pope Francis’ legacy, may we all reflect on the ethical approach that is necessary to tackle the many vital issues, including the serious danger of what he termed ‘the globalisation of indifference’, to which he drew the attention of office holders and their publics.”

French President Emmanuel Macron described him as a leader who “wanted the Church to bring joy and hope to the poorest” on social media.

He added: “In this time of war and brutality, he had a sense for the other, for the most fragile”.

Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting, Friedrich Merz, said: “The death of Pope Francis fills me with great sadness. Francis will be remembered for his tireless commitment to the weakest in society, to justice and reconciliation.

“Humility and faith in God’s mercy guided him in this. In doing so, the first Latin American to sit on the Holy See touched people worldwide, across denominational boundaries.”

‘A great man and pastor’

Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s prime minister, said the news “saddens us deeply, because a great man and a great pastor have left us”.

He added: “I had the privilege of enjoying his friendship, his advice and his teachings, which never failed even in moments of trial and suffering.”

Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York, said the pope’s “whole life and ministry was centred on Jesus” who “comes among us not to be served, but to serve”.

“I remember, in the brief times I spent with him, how this holy man of God was also very human,” he added.

“He was witty, lively, good to be with, and the warmth of his personality and interest in others shone out from him.”

JD Vance, who met the Pope on Easter Sunday, shared a messaged following his death.

“My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him,” he wrote on social media.

“I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill.”

The Italian Football Association has announced all matches scheduled today will be suspended as a mark of respect for the pope.

Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, founder of Mary’s Meals, said: “When I last saw Pope Francis on February 3, at what turned out to be his last major meeting, he was clearly coping with health issues and he was struggling to breathe. But that didn’t stop him passionately telling all of us that “nothing is more important than the life of a child!”

“And even in his suffering he insisted on staying with us for most of that day, an intense working session at the Summit on the Rights of the Child. And he made sure too, that he didn’t leave any of us without a personal warm greeting and a smile that somehow – on every occasion I met him – left me with a deep new feeling of hope and courage.”

The King’s statement in full

My wife and I were most deeply saddened to learn of the death of Pope Francis. Our heavy hearts have been somewhat eased, however, to know that His Holiness was able to share an Easter Greeting with the Church and the world he served with such devotion throughout his life and ministry. 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. Through his work and care for both people and planet, he profoundly touched the lives of so many. The Queen and I remember with particular affection our meetings with His Holiness over the years and we were greatly moved to have been able to visit him earlier in the month. 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.

Francis had emerged from his convalescence on Easter Sunday to bless the thousands of people in St Peter’s Square in Vatican City.

He had recently resumed some official duties during his recovery from pneumonia.

The Pope made his first public appearance since his bout of double pneumonia on April 6, when he appeared in St Peter’s Square in a wheelchair during a special Jubilee Mass for the sick following his discharge from hospital two weeks previously.

Continuing his statement, Cardinal Nichols said: “Pope Francis was called to priesthood through his experience of the mercy and compassion of God. This remained the core of his ministry, as Priest, Bishop and Pontiff. Only in understanding the love and mercy of God towards each one of us can we fashion societies and communities that bear the mark of the ‘kingdom of God’.

“This same focus and emphasis lay at this desire to see membership of the Church as being rooted in ‘missionary discipleship’, a dynamic and powerful vision for every Christian and every community.

“Now we pray for the repose of his soul, that he may know, in full measure, the merciful and loving embrace of the Father, of the one God to whom he gave his life in unstinting service.

“May he now rest in peace and rise in glory.”

Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell also paid tribute to Francis, whom he described as “witty, lively, good to be with”.

He said in a statement: “Pope Francis was acutely aware of the divisions between our churches and how they stand in the way of seeing Jesus Christ more fully.

“I remember the powerful work the Pope did with the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland in promoting peacebuilding in South Sudan.

“He was a listening Pope whose commitment to the principle and the process of synodality will be a permanent legacy to the Roman Catholic Church and to all of us.

“I remember, in the brief times I spent with him, how this holy man of God 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.

“May he rest in peace and rise in glory.”