JD Vance shares emotional tribute to Pope Francis

Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, passed away at the age of 88 on Monday after suffering from double pneumonia. The news was announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, one of the most prominent figures in the Catholic Church, on the Vatican's TV channel.

On Sunday morning, Pope Francis had his final meeting with the US vice president, JD Vance, who is currently on a tour of India and arrived here on Monday. The duo exchanged Easter greetings during their brief meeting on Sunday.

Francis did not attend the annual Good Friday procession for the third consecutive year in a row due to his long illness.

JD Vance and Pope Francis meet

US Vice President JD Vance met Pope Francis at the Vatican on Easter Sunday, just before the pontiff delivered a sermon calling on political leaders to support vulnerable individuals.

Vatican in a statement mentioned that Pope Francis had a brief private encounter that lasted for a few minutes in order to exchange good wishes on Easter Day. 

Credit: X

JD Vance shares an emotional note for Pope Francis

As soon as the news broke, JD Vance, who is currently in India and met the Pope briefly on Sunday, shared a post on X (formerly called Twitter), and he remembered his last visit with the Pope.

The post read, "I just learnt 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," he added. 

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…

— JD Vance (@JDVance) April 21, 2025

Europe mourns Pope Francis's demise

Apart from Vance, Roberta Metsola, the president of the European Parliament, expressed deep sorrow at Pope Francis's demise and said, “His contagious smile captured millions of people’s hearts across the globe."

“Europe mourns the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. ‘The People’s Pope’ will be remembered for his love for life, hope for peace, and compassion for equality & social justice. May he rest in peace."

Europe mourns the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis.

His contagious smile captured millions of people’s hearts across the globe.

‘The People’s Pope’ will be remembered for his love for life, hope for peace, compassion for equality & social justice.

May he rest in peace 🇪🇺🇻🇦 pic.twitter.com/LsqYREynVP

— Roberta Metsola (@EP_President) April 21, 2025

To stay updated on the stories that are going viral follow Indiatimes Trending.