Pope Francis will be remembered as “a lighthouse of compassion, humility and spiritual courage,” said the prime minister of India, Narendra Modi, on Monday, while the tributes of the Pontiff continued.
“From an early age, he dedicated himself to realizing the ideals of the Lord Christ. He diligently served the poor and oppressed,” said Modi’s statement in part.
He added: “For those who suffered, he lit a spirit of hope. I remember my meetings with him and inspired me very inspired by his commitment to inclusive and complete development. His affection for the people of India will always be appreciated. That his soul finds eternal peace in the hug of God.”
Kenya’s president William Samoei Ruto said the Pontiff had “exemplified the service leadership through his humility.”
He added: “We join the Catholic Church and the global Christian community to cry the death of Pope Francis. This is a great loss for the Catholic faithful and the Christian world. Pope Francis will be remembered for a life dedicated to serving the Lord, the Church and humanity.”
A nun prays in the Plaza de San Pedro after the death of Pope Francis in the Vatican on April 21, 2025. Pope Francis died on April 21, 2025 at the age of 88, one day after making a highly anticipated appearance in the Plaza de San Pedro on Easter Sunday, the Vatican said in a statement.
Andreas Solaro/AFP through Getty Images
First Minster Keir Starmer from the United Kingdom echoed those thoughts, praising Francis’s “tireless efforts to promote a world that is more just for everyone will leave a lasting legacy.”
“Deeply saddened when listening to the death of his holiness, Pope Francis,” Starmer said in a statement published by his office. “His tireless efforts to promote a world that is fairer to all will leave a lasting legacy. On behalf of the United Kingdom people, I share my sincere condolences with the entire Catholic Church.”
The faithful react to the news of the death of Pope Francis in the Plaza de San Pedro in the Vatican, on Monday, April 21, 2025.
Mauro Scrobogna/AP
And in Germany, current and entrees published statements published.
Olaf Scholz, the current leader, said: “With the death of Pope Francis, the Catholic Church and the world lose a defender of the weak, a conciliatory person and a warm heart. I greatly appreciated his clear vision of the challenges we face. My sympathies go out to the religious community worldwide.”
And Friedrich Merz, the incoming chancellor, said that Francis will be remembered for “his tireless dedication to the weakest of society.”
“The death of Pope Francis fills me with great sadness. Francisco will be remembered for his tireless dedication to the weakest of society, for justice and reconciliation,” Merz continued. “Humility and faith in the mercy of God guided him. In doing so, the first Latin American in the Holy See touched people around the world and the denominational limits. My thoughts are with the faithful around the world at this time, who have lost their Holy Father. May he rest in peace.”
-BC News’ Somayeh Malekian, Zoe Magee and Dragana Jovanovic
