World leaders, Catholics mourn Pope Francis, who dies at 88

New Delhi [India], April 21 (ANI): Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff in history, who won hearts worldwide with his humility, deep compassion for the poor, and strong advocacy for climate action, passed away on Monday at the age of 88.
His death, at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta, has sparked an outpouring of condolences from political leaders, Church authorities, and prominent figures across the globe.
The 88-year-old head of the Roman Catholic Church was recently discharged from Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he spent five weeks receiving treatment for an infection that led to double pneumonia.
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, he was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969. Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on February 28, 2013, a papal conclave elected Cardinal Bergoglio as his successor on March 13. He chose Francis as his papal name in honour of Saint Francis of Assisi.

There will now be a nine-day period of official mourning, after which the Cardinals will go into conclave to elect the new Vicar of Christ. After the mourning period, the Cardinals will be called into Conclave to elect the next Vicar of Christ.
Earlier on Sunday, the Pope delivered his Easter message from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica to thousands of people gathered in Vatican Square.
Pope Francis dedicated his Easter Urbi et Orbi message to calling for peace worldwide, global disarmament, and the release of prisoners.
Pope Francis was the first Pontiff from the Jesuit Order and the first from outside Europe since the 8th century.
Among the 135 cardinals currently eligible to vote in the Papal conclave, four are from India. These include Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, Cardinal Anthony Poola, and Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad.
US President Donald Trump offered condolences on the passing away of Pope Francis. In a post on Truth Social, the US President said, "Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!"
French President Emmanuel Macron mourned the death of Pope Francis. In a post on X, he wrote, "From Buenos Aires to Rome, Pope Francis wanted the Church to bring joy and hope to the poorest. May it unite people with each other and with nature. May this hope continually revive beyond him. My wife and I send our thoughts to all Catholics and to the grieving world."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death of Pope Francis, stating that the Pontiff's "affection for the people of India will always be cherished."
"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 world. From a young age, he devoted himself towards realising the ideals of Lord Christ. He diligently served the poor and downtrodden. For those who were suffering, he ignited a spirit of hope," PM Modi said on X.
"I fondly recall my meetings with him and was greatly inspired by his commitment to inclusive and all-round development. His affection for the people of India will always be cherished. May his soul find eternal peace in God's embrace," the Prime Minister added.
US Vice President JD Vance, who was the last foreign leader to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican on Sunday, expressed his condolences on the Pope's passing, saying, "my heart goes out..."
In a post on X, Vance wrote, "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.
During their meeting on Sunday, Vance and Pope Francis exchanged Easter greetings, although they reportedly had a dispute over the Trump administration's migrant deportation plans.
The White House also condoled Pope's demise and shared a post on X, "Rest in Peace, Pope Francis." (ANI)