Pope Francis Dead At 88 Following Easter Meeting With VP Vance
Russell Bartlett
Hours after celebrating Christ’s resurrection and meeting with Vice President JD Vance on Sunday, Pope Francis died early Monday morning at the age of 88, according to the Vatican.
Tributes from Catholics and others around the world quickly began pouring in, including from Vance.
According to Fox News:
“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church,” Farrell announced.
“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God.”
U.S. Vice President JD Vance had just met with the pope on Sunday.
“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,” Vance said early Monday morning in a post on X.
Here’s a sampling of the other high-profile statements that have poured in via social media:
The King’s message following the death of Pope Francis. pic.twitter.com/tnwvSoXcMh
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 21, 2025
Rest in Peace, Pope Francis. ✝️ pic.twitter.com/8CGwKaNnTh
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 21, 2025
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… pic.twitter.com/QKod5yTXrB
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 21, 2025