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LAST UPDATE | 6 hrs ago
TRIBUTES HAVE BEEN paid to Pope Francis following his death aged 88.
The pontiff had been unwell for some time. In February, he was admitted to hospital in Rome for double pneumonia, where he spent five weeks before being discharged to convalesce.
In recent weeks, Francis was spotted out around Rome and attending various religious events. Yesterday, he appeared at the celebrations for Easter Sunday in Rome in his final public appearance.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that it was “with profound sadness” that the world had learned of the pope’s passing.
On behalf of the government and people of Ireland, Martin offered his condolences to “all who mourn him”, including “the Catholic community worldwide that has lost an exceptional leader”.
Martin said that Francis holds a “special place” in the hearts of Irish people, and mentioned his visit to Ireland in 2018. During the trip, Martin had met with him in Dublin Castle, and said today that he was “impressed by his vision of a Catholic Church that is open, compassionate, and focused on the needs of the most vulnerable”.
“Pope Francis’s legacy is his message of peace, reconciliation, and solidarity that lives in the hearts of those he inspired,” Martin concluded.
“May he rest in peace, and may his memory continue to guide us as we strive to build a world that reflects his vision of love and compassion for all.”
A statement from the Tánaiste said similar of Francis’s time serving as the pontiff, also mentioning the 2018 visit to Ireland, as Simon Harris extended his own condolences.
He said that the pope had worked to make the Catholic Church “more inclusive, promoting reconciliation, unity, and compassion over division”.
“Pope Francis’ influence transcended the Vatican, offering moral leadership during times of uncertainty. His teachings on poverty, migration, and refugees remain relevant as we confront global inequality and division.
“Pope Francis bore his illness with great dignity and courage. As so many people in Ireland and as Christians across the world mourn his loss, we find strength in his message of hope, mercy, and compassion, which will continue to inspire us to build a better world for all,” Harris said.
President Michael D Higgins, who had met with the pope on five occasions through Francis’s papacy, issued a lengthy statement on the pope’s death and his impact.
“As President of Ireland, may I join with all those across the world, from their different stations in life, who have expressed such profound sadness on learning of the death of Pope Francis.”
Higgins said that Francis had spoken out on “the vital issues of our time” – such as global hunger and poverty, climate change, justice, the plight of migrants and indigenous people, the dispossessed, and the need for global peace and diplomacy.
He commended Francis for the discussions the two had had during Francis’s visits to Ireland and Higgins’s reciprocal visits to Rome.
“During his visit to Ireland, Pope Francis spoke of the scandal of child abuse, including in the Church, and its consequences for victims and families. On such matters, and on others such as attitudes towards women and those of the LGBTQ+ community within the Church, Pope Francis sought to play a positive role.
“I recall at the end of our meetings he would say as to his work on such issues, ‘it is very difficult’, as he asked for and offered prayers. It is important that the steps he took are built upon as they constitute a source of hope in the years to come,” Higgins said.
He expressed his condolences.
Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland Eamon Martin spoke to RTÉ in the immediate aftermath of the announcement of the pope’s death.
Martin had a close relationship with the pontiff, and the two would communicate frequently on matters of faith. He has previously said that the pope would ask for updates on the Irish peace process.
Speaking this morning, Martin said, “How would I describe this man? I would say he was a man of God, and I mean that in a very special sense, because he tried to give all of us and to give his church the right image of who God is.”
He told a short anecdote about a time that the pope had been driving through St Peter’s Square when he spotted a man with an “extraordinary disease” on his face.
“He stopped the car and got out, and he didn’t say to whoever was with him what happened to him. He kissed him,” Martin said.
He was absolutely unpredictable and in some ways unmanageable, but on the other hand, he, as I say, [was a] Man of God. He rose every morning at four o’clock. He was saying his prayers. You know, he led a simple life.”
Martin said that the pope was a courageous, principled man of God who was “extraordinary” in his beliefs and actions.
Archbishop of Dublin Dermot Farrell said that his thoughts were with the pope.
“Since his election in 2013, he’s brought a great energy and vitality to the Church throughout that ministry, right up until yesterday, when he appeared on the balcony of St Peters to wish all of the pilgrims who had traveled to Rome… a very happy and joyous Easter.
Literally, a man who died with his boots on.”
Like many others paying tribute, the Archbishop highlighted the pope’s progressiveness in the role in comparison to his predecessors.
“He had that, but I would describe, I think, as a freshness that he brought to the papacy, but he also had a very radical freedom to do things that his predecessors hadn’t done,” Farrell said.
Farrell added that despite “mistakes” that the pope may have made in his life, mentioning that the pope would likely have admitted himself that he was “harsh” when acting as Superior Leader of the Jesuits in Argentina, he ultimately learned from them.
Leader of the opposition, Sinn Féin TD Mary Lou McDonald, praised Francis for his actions during his state visit in 2018, and more recently his dedication to opposing the wars ongoing in Gaza and Ukraine.
“Pope Francis will also be remembered for standing up for peace and justice in the face of global tension, instability and militarism – including unjust and illegal wars in Palestine, and Ukraine. Even while he was in hospital, he maintained almost nightly phone calls to a parish in Gaza City and he was resolute in his solidarity with the people of Gaza,” she said.
World leaders have issued their condolences and praise for the Argentinian pontiff. Heads of state from India, Italy, France, Iran, and Spain have all commented on the occasion, while tributes continue to flood in.
US President Donald Trump wrote a clipped tribute on Truth Social this afternoon: “Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!”
Trump’s Vice President JD Vance yesterday met the pope in Rome just before the pontiff’s appearance at celebrations for Easter Sunday. The two met for several minutes, the Vatican said.
Today, Vance posted to X, “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.
“May God rest his soul.”
Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, posted a picture of himself sitting opposite the pope on X accompanied by a glowing statement.
“It is with great sadness that Jill and I learned of the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. He was unlike any who came before him.
“Pope Francis will be remembered as one of the most consequential leaders of our time and I am better for having known him,” Biden said.
He added that Francis had promoted equity and an end to poverty and suffering across the world.
“He was the People’s Pope – a light of faith, hope, and love.”
Biden’s predecessor Barack Obama did similar, posting an image of himself shaking hands with the pontiff and expressing his condolences on behalf of himself and his wife Michelle.
“Pope Francis was the rare leader who made us want to be better people,” Obama said. He highlighted some of Francis’s actions that he said showed his “humility”.
“Today, Michelle and I mourn with everyone around the world – Catholic and non-Catholic alike – who drew strength and inspiration from the Pope’s example. May we continue to heed his call to ‘never remain on the sidelines of this march of living hope.’”
In Europe, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that Francis “inspired millions, far beyond the Catholic Church, with his humility and love so pure for the less fortunate,” in a post to X.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that Francis had always fought for justice and was always on the side of the most vulnerable. He offered his “most sincere condolences to Catholics the world over”.
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And the spineless NATO looks on.. God help them.
@Tom Kiely: i bet you my car that if Russia invades a baltic state – NATO wont do a single sh..t. and will be waffling their usual “we dont want to start a war” nonsense. Useles s , spineless alliance.
@Tom Kiely: direct NATO engagement in Ukraine would lead to war between NATO countries and Russia, with a distinct potential for escalation to nuclear warfare. For this reason, invading a NATO country is likely a line that Putin will not cross, but entering a non NATO country to engage Russia is also a line NATO cannot cross. I grieve for the Ukrainian losses, but we would see more pain in a much wider scale if NATO directly engaged Russian forces.
@John Johnes: what do you think will happen if they invaded a NATO state?
@Georg Ludwig Cantor:
@Georg Ludwig Cantor: They can start by implementing a no fly zone through a UN resolution and NATO can then go in. Tony Connolly RTE has s very good article this morning on a ‘Tug of War’. for anyone wanting to catch up.
@John Johnes: we don’t want to start a war nonsense? What is nonsense about not wanting to start a war, especially to defend a non nato state. If they did it for every non nato country then where would it end. It’s awful what’s happening but it would start a world war to stick thier nose in so the smart choice is to avoid that at all costs. There may be a lot of civilian deaths not but can you imagine the amount if WW3 broke out and putin started using nukes. We can’t be short sighted about this as awful as it is.
@Paul Furey: the Baltic countries of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are nato states.
@Fandandi: you must have missed the part where Putin was shooting missiles at a Nuclear reactor on Friday morning
@Tom Kiely: NATO are an offense force, not a defensive force. They are the sales and marketing division of the arms industries. Stopping the war is not in their interest.
@Splat: Russia can veto any no-fly zone in the UN.
@Tom Kiely: You hoping for WWIII?
@John Johnes: you are correct but that would mean looking at game over.
Imagine if Putin hits the nuclear button on a couple of western cities,the U.S you’d imagine would hit back.It could be all over very quick.
@Splat: And how do they enforce it? An attack on a military ship or plane is considered as a direct attack on the country it belongs to. This “Something must be done, der ort to be a law” rhetoric advances nothing. Sanctions don’t seem as dramatic as boots on the ground, but think of it this way. Putin is kept in power by the oligarchs because he protects them and makes them money, he’s now costing them billions. What do you think happens to a crime boss who starts costing the organisation money?
@Me Darlin’ Dublin: All heavy munitions were fired at training buildings at the facility and not the reactors themselves. This has been confirmed in a number of non-sensationalist reports. Propaganda and fake news is as popular in the West as it is in Russia. Putin has no interest in Ukraine becoming a toxic wasteland. It’s rich in resources (mineral and agricultural). The cities are irrelevant except to house compliant Government but the land assets are the trophy.
@Georg Ludwig Cantor: no pain, no gain
@John Johnes: nice new account you have there comrade
@Me Darlin’ Dublin: except that’s not what happened. They burned outbuildings as a threat. The reactors can withstand direct impact from a plane. They’re designed that way.
@Kieran Woods: that’s actually not true either. NATO are a defence force.
@Kieran Woods: That’s a BS comment. NATO is a defensive force. When they went into Afghanistan it was against those you perpetrated terrorist activities against an ally! Peace in Europe is very much in their interest.
Now the issue is, if Churchill didn’t enter the war against Germany, what might have been the outcome? He didn’t shy away from battle and Germany was much more powerful than the UK. If there is a nuclear war it will happen because the Russians invaded Ukraine. Putin is not stupid either he knows if he uses nuclear bombs, even tactical ones, there will be a response from NATO.
@John Johnes: If the Russians start invading the Baltic states, it might cost more to fill your car with fuel than its worth…
@Tom Kiely: and face nuclear war?yeah right
@Tom Kiely: I remember as a school-kid in the early 1980s drawing mushroom clouds all over my copy books (and sharks, thanks Spielberg). At 10 years old, knowing about stuff like Mutually Assured Destruction, and knowing that a nuclear war – the WW3 that some people on here are baying for – would last for exactly 28 minutes, before everyone on both sides was taken out.
It’s hideous what’s happening in Ukraine, but NATO rolling into this will actually end the human race. Sometimes you have to make awful “least worst” decisions, and I think Western countries have been very decisive in this — full on, gloves-off economic war, no military escalation.
I do not understand anyone who is asking for NATO to escalate this into a quick and final world war.
@John Johnes: better to stop them now rather than wait until they’re on our doorstep? Russia now following same tactics as the Nazis. Accuse countries that have a Russian ex pat population of genocide and then invade to protect your countrymen. Ireland has 5,000+ Russians living in the country but of course we’re neutral so we’re ok….
@Georg Ludwig Cantor: unlikely. That to me is a bluff. Russia would be a desert.
@John Johnes: if putin gets away with this it will be a matter of when not “if” he invades a baltic state. That’s why Europe is so united atm all be it they have much more to do on the economic side at least.
@John Johnes:You sir, are a ŕêțāřđ of the highest order.
@Tom Kiely: Maybe you missed all the shipments of military equipment from NATO members towards Ukraine?
@Gin & Jetfuel: NATO members acting independently, not as a collective ie not as NATO. Good effort though.
@Me Darlin’ Dublin: Missiles or flares? I thought missiles explode at impact. Videos show the light dropping on the ground fizzed off.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to-SZyoxFhI
The US(NATO) need to get out of Europe and other areas on Earth where they have brought nothing but death, pain, murder and misery in every place they meddle in. It’s hard to hear them accuse Russia of the very crimes they themselves are guilty of every day but the global media chooses not to highlight.
@Jordan Salanger: The media were fairly quiet about Russian atrocities in Syria too. I don’t think the main problem is the media siding with NATO. I think the main problem is lack of concern for victims of extreme violence when they happen not to be white Europeans.
@Jordan Salanger: given the gravity of the conflict the we are all seeing in Europe this is a time to be very clear what side you are on and not to play what-aboutary. There is a strong clue to how I feel about your comment contained in your surname.
@Anthony Horan:
whaboutary = exposing the act of expressing outrage at one atrocity while ignoring another.
The children in Yemen are being slaughtered right now in a conflict no less grave. . Their lives are no less important, which I believe is John’s point (correct me if I’m wrong John). No media reporting because our allies are carrying it out
It’s not about taking sides. It’s about condemning all atrocities, not the ones we select because of who is carrying them out.
@Jordan Salanger: two wrongs don’t make a right… But you know that
China refusing to broadcast the Premier league this weekend due to the Ukraine solidarity protest taking place. We know who’s side they’re on.
Someone needs to take Putin out.
@Wood Jackson: well seeing as you suggested it why don’t you do it?
@Wood Jackson: out out.
@Mejewlie: like for Dinner out
@bkyona: He’s already been 69d.
Protest demonstration 2pm today @ GPO
in support of the people of Ukraine.
@Eamonn Tierney: That will put a stop to things. Fair play.
@Eamonn Tierney: I’m sure Vladimir will be watching
@Gavin Linden: No need to be so cynical.
@Anne Busher Collins: you’re right, now’s not the time for cynicism, definitely the time for virtue signaling, but not cynicism.
@Gavin Linden: There is a Russian Oil tanker docking this week. Send it back. Protests show the publics resolve to economically cut this country from our lives.
We survived without a much larger Russia in the 1980′s they have chosen to go back there. Car pool, commuter corridor buses ,creative thinking.
@Albert Brennerman: I’d say delivery is paid for in advance.
BBC reporting that Russians are firing on civilians at the end of the evacuation routes. Sc*^*ags!
@Thomas O’ Donnell: Just like Sky was reporting that Russians fired upon their journalists? Their journalists arriving at the checkpoint on E40 road west at the outskirts of Kiev driving “into” Kiev over the Irpin river? Running back west away from the capital?
https://goo.gl/maps/BXynYgq3H7uCMrV98
Where are all these refugees going?
@JPM: out of Ukraine for a start.
It is so shameful that we as a right thinking nation are not berating NATO and US for their cowardice. They must realise – we are in the middle of WW III and they are waiting for everyone else to be killed…What passing bells for those that die like cattle…
@Me Darlin’ Dublin: WWIII? Really? If NATO and the US get involved, it will be WWIII then for sure.
At the moment, it is not a world war.
@Me Darlin’ Dublin: This is not the middle of WW3, you will know about it if and when that happens.
@David Corrigan: don’t be so nieve…who do you think knocked out our health service last year?…doh…jeez I could go on but please have a look around you…war is not just with ICBM and AK 47
@Me Darlin’ Dublin: God love you. Like Fandandi said above. You will know what WWIII means if NATO and the US get involved.
@Me Darlin’ Dublin: If we’re already in ww 3 why have you gone over to fight in it? What are you waiting for why haven’t you joined the Ukrainian army to prevent people dieing like cattle
@Roy Dowling: I don’t need to examine my conscience in the respect Rory. I’ve been to the FEBA in two conflicts …witnessed atrocities…were citizens were mindlessly obliterated – because right thinking people dillied and dallied – long before you were born probably. If I could still climb over a wall I’d be long gone.
@Me Darlin’ Dublin: we are on the edge of WW3, if NATO and/or the US go in, we will be in WW3 with a madman armed to the teeth with nuclear weaponry that he has already indicated he will use. What is happening in Ukraine is horrific, it is devastating to watch whilst feeling that you are standing idly by BUT to intervene brings much, much worse consequences for both the Ukraine and much further afield. Unfortunately a cautious, hesistant approach is the only option here
Was just wondering is there any chance Russian Generals might turn on Putin with so many Russians losing their lives and the operation not going according to plan.?
@Kieran Woods: That’s a BS comment. NATO is a defensive force. When they went into Afghanistan it was against those you perpetrated terrorist activities against an ally! Peace in Europe is very much in their interest.
Now the issue is, if Churchill didn’t enter the war against Germany, what might have been the outcome? He didn’t shy away from battle and Germany was much more powerful than the UK. If there is a nuclear war it will happen because the Russians invaded Ukraine. Putin is not stupid either he knows if he uses nuclear bombs, even tactical ones, there will be a response from NATO.
As if anything Putin says these days can be relied upon…
Also, people who bring up the nuclear threat (as an excuse for inaction) need to stop calling those who don’t childish. Even in a totalitarian state no single individual has the power to bring about the apocalypse. It surely wasn’t the case in 1962 at the height of the cold war. As much as Putin would like to grab Ukraine and give the west the middle finger, even he knows it’s not worth total annihilation.
There needs to be a humanitarian refuge in the West of the country. With a humanitarian No fly. Therei is No way Europe can absorb all these numbers.
Ukranians want a no fly to break out of the cities and break the lines, to move to fight these Russian armies because they are winning the Russian will not engage them the shoot from far off. They can absolutely win this now because the population massively outnumbers the invading force and nobody has folded as their children are in bunkers.
If you cannot do a no fly , then give a future lease to the Ukrainians of a decent airforce and aclimatise their pilots..
If you cannot do that arm them to the teeth with the best ground to air weapons. So they can ground cover their own movements.
Again pointless war geopolitically, the West is more than Europe and the US, we did without your economic output before so we will do again.
Shell buys Russian Oil- Boycott Shell petrol/diesel
@Jonathan O’Riordan: You’d be hard pushed to find one as I think Shell pulled out of this country in 2005.
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