Pope Francis Dies: The Royal Family, PM Modi To JD Vance, World Leaders Mourn; Eiffel Tower To Go Dark

Pope Francis Dies: The death of Pope Francis has shook the world, with his funeral rites to commence from April 21 onward. On Monday, honouring the demise of the pope, the Eiffel Tower, which signifies the statue of love, will go dark. Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo has made the announcement. It's not just, that world leaders from all corners have expressed their condolences for Pope Francis's passing away, offering prayers for his soul and conveying goodbyes. Among them are also PM Narendra Modi and JD Vance who are visiting on Monday for a major India-US trade discussion, in New Delhi.

PM Modi said. "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."

He further added, "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."

Meanwhile, JD Vance through his X handler said, "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."

Vance and Pope Francis had met during the Easter Sunday, as per Vatican update. They had an exchange of opinion related to migration.

Further, President-Minister of Netherlands said, "Pope Francis was in every way a man of the people. The global Catholic community bids farewell to a leader who recognised the burning issues of our day and called attention to them. With his sober way of life, acts of service and compassion, Pope Francis was a role model for many - Catholics and non-Catholics alike. We remember him with great respect."

While Friedrich Merz, a member of Germany Bundestag said, "The death of Pope Francis fills me with great sadness. Francis will be remembered for his tireless commitment to the weakest in society, to justice and reconciliation. Humility and faith in God's mercy guided him in this. In doing so, the first Latin American to sit on the Holy See touched people worldwide, across denominational boundaries. My thoughts at this time are with the faithful around the world who have lost their Holy Father. May he rest in peace."

President of Poland, Andrej Duda was also among the mourners. He said, "He chose as his papal motto the words of his episcopal motto: "Miserando atque eligendo" ("He looked with mercy and chose")." Adding he said, "He was a great apostle of Mercy, in which he saw the answer to the challenges of the modern world."

Moreover, President of Israel, Isaac Herzog said, "I send my deepest condolences to the Christian world and especially the Christian communities in Israel - the Holy Land - on the loss of their great spiritual father, His Holiness Pope Francis. A man of deep faith and boundless compassion, he dedicated his life to uplifting the poor and calling for peace in a troubled world. He rightly saw great importance in fostering strong ties with the Jewish world and in advancing interfaith dialogue as a path toward greater understanding and mutual respect."

The Royal Family also expressed their condolences for the demise of Pope. Here's what they said:

Pope Francis died in the early hours of April 21st, at the age of 88. Born on December 17, 1936, Pope Francis was the of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State since March 2013 till his death.

He created history by becoming the first pope from the Society of Jesus (the Jesuit Order), the first from the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere, and the first born or raised outside Europe since the 8th-century Syrian pope Gregory III.