President Donald Trump and Pope Francis are pictured meeting together in an image shared by the White House on April 21, 2025. (@WhiteHouse / X screen shot)
By Bryan Chai April 21, 2025 at 9:35am
President Donald Trump didn’t need many words to describe his feelings on Pope Francis.
They still came through loud and clear on Truth Social.
Trump took to the platform shortly after the pope’s passing on Monday to break his silence and post his condolences.
“Rest in Peace Pope Francis!” Trump wrote in a post that had garnered over 24,000 likes.
He added: “May God Bless him and all who loved him!”
Trump had much more to tell the press during a Monday scrum, per Fox News.
“I just signed an executive order putting the flags of our country, all of them, all federal flags and state flags at half mast in honor of Pope Francis,” Trump said. “He was a good man, worked hard. He loved the world. And it’s an honor to do that.”
The official White House X account opted for even fewer words in its social media post, but shared heartfelt imagery of Pope Francis meeting both the current first couple, as well as Vice President J.D. Vance.
Rest in Peace, Pope Francis. ✝️ pic.twitter.com/8CGwKaNnTh
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 21, 2025
A Monday morning Vatican statement, per CBS News, confirmed the passing.
“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow, I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” the statement from Cardinal Kevin Farrell said. “At 7:35 this morning, The Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the Father’s house.
“His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His church,” the statement added. “He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalized.”
Farrell continued, “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 God, One and Triune.”
Other world leaders followed in Trump’s footsteps with similar outpourings of love for Francis.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X to express how “pained” he was to learn of Francis’ passing.
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… pic.twitter.com/QKod5yTXrB
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 21, 2025
“Deeply pained by the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis,” Modi posted. “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.”
But it wasn’t just world leaders like Trump and Modi who expressed their sympathies.
Prayers came in from everywhere, from the tech sector to professional sports:
Our sincere prayers and thoughts on the passing of Pope Francis 🙏 pic.twitter.com/ClynrkON0V
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) April 21, 2025
Joining people around the world in mourning Pope Francis today. He lived a life of extraordinary grace and deep compassion. May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/JDSOGe9z3j
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) April 21, 2025
Pope Francis was 88.
He leaves behind a polarizing legacy. Despite the aforementioned outpouring of love, many have criticized Francis for trying to liberalize the Vatican on social issues.
Bryan Chai has written news and sports for The Western Journal for more than five years and has produced more than 1,300 stories. He specializes in the NBA and NFL as well as politics.
Bryan Chai has written news and sports for The Western Journal for more than five years and has produced more than 1,300 stories. He specializes in the NBA and NFL as well as politics. He graduated with a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona. He is an avid fan of sports, video games, politics and debate.
Birthplace
Hawaii
Education
Class of 2010 University of Arizona. BEAR DOWN.
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English, Korean
Topics of Expertise
Sports, Entertainment, Science/Tech
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