Since Pope Francis’s death on Easter Sunday, religious leaders worldwide have made statements offering their condolences. Many, such as Franklin Graham, have offered their prayers for the Catholic church as it begins the arduous process of selecting a new pope.
As background, Pope Francis’ health has been declining for months, with rumors swirling about his condition as he went in and out of the hospital for pneumonia complications. Shortly after the Pontiff met with Vice President JD Vance on Easter Sunday, the Vatican announced his passing, and religious leaders flocked to express their condolences.
Reacting to the unexpected news on Facebook. In his April 21 post, he said, “Pope Francis passed away this morning after battling health issues. He was able to have meetings and appear at some of the Vatican’s Holy Week observances in just the last couple of days. I had the opportunity to meet and talk with him last year when I went to Naples to preach. Pray for the Catholic Church as they begin the process of selecting the next pope.”
Adding her thoughts, Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, wrote an address to her congregation. She said, “Pope Francis served Christ’s church with wisdom, courage and humility. Throughout his pastoral ministry, he served as an instrument of God’s justice and peace for all people and the whole of creation. His commitment to the poorest people, in his native Buenos Aires and around the world, was ever present, even in his simple living.”
Building on that point, she spoke to the pope’s legacy. She added, “Pope Francis will go down in history as the first Jesuit bishop of Rome and the first from the Americas. His papacy will be remembered for his clarion call to action for climate justice, his bold engagement in ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, his compassionate approach to several complex social issues, and his clear concern about the rise of right-wing populism worldwide and its impact on the most vulnerable.”
Concluding her remarks, she declared, “We pray that God will strengthen the people of the Roman Catholic Church with the promise of Christ’s resurrection. We extend our condolences to all our Catholic siblings, including the bishops, priests, deacons, scholars and laypeople with whom we are in dialogue and partnership. We also pray that the Holy Spirit will guide the deliberations of the College of Cardinals as they begin the process of selecting a new pope.”
Rounding out the reactions, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, head of the Catholic Archdiocese of New York, issued a statement calling for people of all faiths to mourn the passing of Francis. He said, “”I join with people all over the world, not only Catholics but people of all faiths or none at all, in mourning the passing of our beloved Pope Francis this morning,” adding, “How appropriate that his last public appearance was on Easter Sunday as we celebrated the joy of the resurrection of Jesus whom Pope Francis loved so deeply and so well, and right after our Jewish brothers and sisters, for whom Pope Francis had such great love, concluded their celebration of Passover.”