2 weeks Ago By People
As tributes and messages of love roll in for Pope Francis , King Charles is seeing a silver lining in the death of the leader of the Catholic Church . After Pope Francis died at the age of 88 on Monday, April 21, King Charles released an official statement commemorating His Holiness. “My wife and I were most deeply saddened to learn of the death of Pope Francis,” the monarch said of himself and Queen Camilla , via Buckingham Palace.
“Our heavy hearts have been somewhat eased, however, to know that His Holiness was able to share an Easter Greeting with the Church and the world he served with such devotion throughout his life and ministry.” Related: King Charles and Queen Camilla Lead Royal Family's Easter Celebrations at Windsor Castle The day before Pope Francis’ death was Easter Sunday, when he delivered his annual address. He also met with Vice President J.
D. Vance . “His Holiness will be remembered for his compassion, his concern for the unity of the Church and for his tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith, and to those of goodwill who work for the benefit of others,” King Charles continued his tribute.
“His belief that care for Creation is an existential expression of faith in God resounded with so many across the world. Through his work and care for both people and planet, he profoundly touched the lives of so many.” The British monarch also recalled his numerous visits to Pope Francis throughout the years, adding, “We were greatly moved to have been able to visit him earlier in the month.
” King Charles and Camilla met with Pope Francis on April 9 after an initial visit was postponed due to the pope’s health struggles. The British royals had a private meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican where they exchanged gifts; the pope also wished the couple a happy 20th wedding anniversary. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Related: King Charles Shares Emotional Easter Message of Love amid Cancer Treatment News of the pope’s death was announced on Monday with Vatican News confirming the announcement in a post on X, writing, "Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta." Pope Francis’ death came one month after he was discharged from the hospital where he had been for 38 days amid treatment for double pneumonia. In a statement released by the Vatican, Cardinal Farrell said, "Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis.
At 7:35 a.m. 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 His Church." "He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalised," the statement 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 the One and Triune God.
" Vance, who had one of the final audiences with the pope, shared a message on X , writing, “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.
” Read the original article on People.
