THE GOVERNMENT announced a three-day state mourning as Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation in paying tribute to Pope Francis, 88, who died at the Vatican Monday.
“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 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,” the Prime Minister said in a post on X.
“I fondly recall my meetings with him and was greatly inspired by his commitment to inclusive and all-round development. His affection for the people of India will always be cherished. May his soul find eternal peace in God’s embrace,” Modi said.
He shared pictures of his last meeting with the Pope on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy’s Borgo Egnazia in June last year.
In a statement later in the evening, the Ministry of Home Affairs said, “As a mark of respect, three-day state mourning will be observed throughout India, in two manners: two days’ state mourning on April 22 and 23 and one day’s state mourning on the day of the funeral. During the period of the state mourning, the national flag will be flown at half mast throughout India on all buildings where the national flag is flown regularly and there will be no official entertainment.”
Following their meeting last year, Prime Minister Modi had posted on X: “Met Pope Francis on the sidelines of the @G7 Summit. I admire his commitment to serve people and make our planet better. Also invited him to visit India…”
This was the Prime Minister’s second meeting with the Pope.
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The first was during a visit to the Vatican in October 2021. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the Pope had granted PM Modi a private audience at the Apostolic Palace where the two discussed issues ranging from the Covid-19 pandemic to climate change. It had stated that this was the first meeting between an Indian Prime Minister and the Pope in more than two decades. The last such meeting was in June 2000 when the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had met Pope John Paul II at the Vatican.
In December last year, an Indian delegation led by Union Minister George Kurian had called on the Pope while visiting the Vatican for the ceremony to mark the elevation of Archbishop George Koovakad to the rank of Cardinal, which Modi had described as “a matter of immense pride” for India.
Several leaders across the political divide also paid tribute to Pope Francis.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi posted on X: “Deeply saddened by the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis, a global voice of compassion, justice, and peace. He stood by the downtrodden and the marginalised, spoke fearlessly against inequality, and inspired millions across faiths with his message of love and humanity. My thoughts are with the Catholic community in India and around the world.”
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Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and several Chief Ministers, including Kerala’s Pinarayi Vijayan, Assam’s Himanta Biswa Sarma and Andhra Pradesh’s N Chandrababu Naidu, were among those who condoled the Pope’s demise.
Expressing grief over the death, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), the apex body of the Catholic Church in the country, said in a statement: “Pope Francis’s pontificate was marked by an unwavering commitment to the poor, the refugees, and the marginalised in society. He was a tireless voice for social justice, economic equality, and human dignity — championing the cause of the forgotten and bringing their plight to the world’s conscience.”
“With prophetic urgency, he urged the global community to take concrete actions against climate change and environmental degradation, uniting people of all faiths and ideologies in the care for creation,” it said.
“A bridge-builder among nations and religions, Pope Francis promoted interfaith dialogue with humility and openness. His historic gestures of peace and mutual respect deepened understanding and solidarity among diverse religious traditions.”
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The CBCI and the Chavara Cultural Centre, Delhi, organised a condolence prayer meeting in the evening at the Diocesan Community Centre, Sacred Heart Cathedral, New Delhi. Paying tribute to Pope Francis, Archbishop of Delhi and CBCI secretary general Rev Anil Joseph Thomas Couto said, “His humility, courage, and unwavering stand for justice and mercy will guide humanity for generations to come.”