Top Polish officials have paid tribute to Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday at the age of 88.
Pope Francis, pictured in 2013.Photo: EPA/ETTORE FERRARI
Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, died at 7:35 a.m. at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican announced.
In a tribute on social media, Polish President Andrzej Duda said: „Pope Francis has returned to the House of the Father.”
’Humility and simplicity’
„Throughout his pastoral ministry, he was guided by humility and simplicity,” Duda said of Francis. „He was a great apostle of mercy, in which he saw an answer to the challenges of the modern world. Together with my wife, we join in prayer with the faithful of the entire Catholic Church. God rest his soul.”
’Good, warm and sensitive man’
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on the X social media platform: „Pope Francis has passed away. A good, warm and sensitive man. May he rest in peace.”
’The Holy Father united the hearts of millions with his kindness’
The Polish foreign ministry said: „We are deeply saddened by the news of Pope Francis’ passing. The Holy Father united the hearts of millions with his kindness and left an indelible memory of his visit to Poland in 2016. We join with the entire community of the faithful in this difficult time.”
The pontiff had been battling serious respiratory issues after a bout of double pneumonia earlier this year.
Francis, who became pope in 2013, was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital in mid-February after experiencing difficulty breathing.
He spent 38 days there before returning to his Vatican residence to continue his recovery.
In 1957, in his early 20s, Francis—then Jorge Mario Bergoglio—underwent surgery in his native Argentina to remove part of a lung due to a severe respiratory infection, according to the Vatican News.
In his later years, he frequently struggled with respiratory illnesses. In November 2023, he cancelled a planned trip to the United Arab Emirates due to influenza and lung inflammation, the Vatican News said.
The pope’s death comes just hours after he appeared in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican for Easter Sunday celebrations.
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Source: IAR, PAP, TVN24, vaticannews.va