VATICAN CITY — Rome was in mourning Monday after the passing of Pope Francis, with church bells tolling solemnly across the city and condolences coming in from around the world.
Tourists mingled with the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Monday as word of Francis’ death spread. Some groups huddled in prayer as others strolled and snapped photos in the historic square.
“When we heard the pope died, our mouths dropped,” said Chris Blume, a barber from Bennington, Vermont, visiting Rome with his mother and sister. “This is something nobody here will forget,” added Jeff Tippie, a sales agent from Cleveland.
The 88-year-old pontiff’s death prompted an outpouring of global grief, reflection and reverence. Twice on Monday evening, crowds returned to the square for Rosary prayers led by Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, the archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Before an icon of the Virgin Mary, the cardinal bowed in silence as a choir sang solemn hymns. Sister Raffaella Petrini, governor of Vatican City State, read the first Scripture passage, a tribute to Francis’ papacy-long push to elevate women’s leadership in the Church.
The ceremonies at the Vatican were echoed by followers around the world.
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“He was a man of simplicity, compassion and deep concern for those on the margins of our society,” Bishop Robert Barron of Minnesota wrote on X. “Let us thank God for the life and ministry of Pope Francis, and let us pray for the Cardinals who will soon gather to choose his successor.”
The Vatican has not announced funeral details, but Cardinal Kevin Farrell, now serving as the Church’s acting administrator, has confirmed that rites began Monday night with the official verification of the pope’s death and preparation of his body for burial.
True to form, Francis requested a break from tradition: no triple coffin, no burial in the crypt beneath St. Peter’s. Instead, he asked for a simple wooden casket and a grave at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, where he often prayed before and after papal journeys.
World leaders noted the pontiff’s passing. President Trump posted on Truth Social: “Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!”
The president confirmed plans to attend the pope’s funeral in a post on Truth Social.
Former President Joseph R. Biden called him “a loving pastor and challenging teacher who reached out to different faiths,” and said, “He was the People’s Pope — a light of faith, hope, and love.”
SEE ALSO: Catholic Church faces ideological crossroad after Pope Francis’ death
Former President Barack Obama said Francis was “the rare leader who made us want to be better people.” In a statement, he added, “In his humility and his gestures at once simple and profound — embracing the sick, ministering to the homeless, washing the feet of young prisoners — he shook us out of our complacency.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin called Francis a “faithful servant of Christian teachings” and praised his efforts to foster dialogue with the Russian Orthodox Church: “I had the opportunity to speak with this outstanding person on several occasions, and I will always cherish the fondest memories of him.”
Simon Stiell, head of the U.N.’s climate change agency, said the pope “had a deep working knowledge of complex climate issues, and his leadership brought together those most powerful forces of faith and science.”
In St. Peter’s Square, visitor Jimena Figeroa from Mexico told CNN she hopes the next pope finishes what Francis started and should not be conservative, but a “progressive to continue the legacy of Pope Francis. To move the church forward.”
But critics of Francis’ papacy argued for a return to a more traditional approach to Catholicism in the ake of the pope’s death.
Conservative commentator Bill Mitchell wrote, “Pope Francis has died. I hope the next Pope is less of a hardcore leftist. P.S., As an Evangelical I don’t believe in the Pope as a ‘messenger of God’ — he’s just a politician to me.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia Republican, saw the impending change in leadership of the Church as a positive development.
“Today there were major shifts in global leaderships. Evil is being defeated by the hand of God,” she wrote on X.
Elsewhere on social media, praise for Francis’ pluck on the global stage abounded.
“Probably the world’s most unproblematic world leader,” posted Regine Cabato, an X user. “Welcoming to women, LGBTQ, migrants, Palestinians, all the marginalized. He was what the Church needed.”
Stephen Watt, a lay Catholic, praised the pope’s daily check-ins with the Christian community in Gaza.
“When many other churches shamefully turned their back on Palestine, Pope Francis still kept up his daily contact,” he wrote on X. “May he rest in peace and rise in glory.”
Francis’ final hours laid bare the divides he often straddled. Just 20 hours before his death, he met privately with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, a Catholic convert whose political stances, particularly on immigration and foreign aid, had drawn sharp papal rebukes.
Earlier this year, Francis described those policies as “an affront to human dignity.”
Though Francis appointed most of the 120 cardinals who will vote in the conclave (which must begin within 20 days of the pope’s death) his successor is not guaranteed to share his vision for the church.
When elected in 2013, Francis reportedly told the cardinals, “May God forgive you for what you’ve done.” Now, the Church he leaves behind must again choose what kind of leader it wants — and what kind of church it hopes to be.
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