TRANSCRIPT
Evening mass held at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris paid tribute to Pope Francis - one of thousands of services around the world remembering the man who led the Roman Catholic church since 2012.
His death was announced on Monday night by Cardinal Kevin Farrell.
"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 of His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalised. 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, triune God. Thankyou."
The 266th pope has been praised for his outreach to the poor and the vulnerable; his concern for the environment; and his efforts to call for peace and seek an end to conflicts - like those in the Middle East, Ukraine and Africa.
The first Latin American pontiff charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor, but alienated many conservatives with his critiques of capitalism and climate change.
From Argentina, where Pope Francis was born, President Javier Milei released a statement on the Catholic leaders passing.
"The Argentine Republic, a country with a long Catholic tradition and the homeland of Pope Francis, deeply mourns the departure of His Holiness and sends its condolences to the Bergoglio family. The President of the Nation accompanies in this sad moment all those who profess the Catholic faith and who found in the Supreme Pontiff a spiritual leader."
In a statement on social media platform X, French President Emmanuel Macron said this:
"From Buenos Aires to Rome, Pope Francis wanted the Church to bring joy and hope to the poorest. To unite people with one another and with nature. May this hope be reborn endlessly beyond him. To all Catholics, to a grieving world."
Pope Francis suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man.
He was admitted to a hospital on February 14th, for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia.
He spent 38 days there, the longest hospitalisation of his 12-year papacy.
Pope Francis said he wished to be buried not in St Peter’s Basilica or its grottoes, where most popes are buried, but in the St Mary Major Basilica across town.
It's the church where his favourite icon of the Virgin Mary, the Salus Populi Romani, is located.
In November 2024, Francis reformed the rites to be used for his funeral, simplifying them to emphasise his role as a mere bishop and allowing for burial outside the Vatican.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Pope Francis was never afraid of change.
"This was a papacy of firsts. The first Pope to hail from the Americas, the first Jesuit Pope, and the first to take the name of that great champion of the poor St Francis of Assisi. Pope Francis' compassion embraced all humanity and today he will be mourned by Catholics and non Catholics alike.”
Opposition leader Peter Dutton praised the Pope's lifestyle and vision for what was possible.
"He lived frugally and simply, above all else, he was driven by Christ's values of mercy and forgiveness. He emphasized those values in his last Christmas address, saying, and I quote 'God's mercy can do all things. It unties every knot. It tears down every wall of division. God's mercy dispels hatred and the spirit of revenge.' With God, may Pope Francis, rest in peace."
In St Peter's Square in Rome, thousands of mourners stood beneath the balcony where Pope Francis had blessed the crowd just the day before his death.
Many held rosaries and prayed for the pontiff.
Some cried.
One person was seen wrapped in the flag of Argentina, the pope’s homeland.
Australian Johann Xavier says he has come to Rome to grieve and pay his respects.
"We are really sad about it. We come from Australia, we are hoping that there was some chance to see him but then we heard about it when we came in here. It pretty much devastated all of us."
Gathering for morning prayers outside Westminster Cathedral in London, priest Jonathan Beswick says he's deeply saddened.
"It's one of those things you always know where you were when you heard the news. And I had a message from my wife just saying that the Holy Father had died. And I'd actually called her just a few minutes beforehand to come and pray. But the doors were closed. Obviously, the news hadn't got out until that moment. And so I turned around and came back again and just came here for morning prayer. "
In Cape Town, South Africa, Nazir Reddy is among those gathering at St Mary's Catholic Cathedral.
"It's a bit sad especially for all the Catholics around the world, it's a sad day. Many good people have come and passed on and we hope that the next Pope can be as good as the next and leave a good example."
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres spoke for many in his tribute.
"Pope Francis was a messenger of hope, humility and humanity. He was a transcendent voice for peace, human dignity and social justice. He leaves behind a legacy of faith, service and compassion for all — especially those on the margins of life or trapped by the horrors of conflict. Pope Francis was a man of faith for all faiths — working with people of all beliefs and backgrounds to light a path forward."
