VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - JUNE 14: (EDITOR NOTE: STRICTLY EDITORIAL USE ONLY - NO MERCHANDISING). Pope Francis meets with Whoopi Goldberg during an audience with artists from the world of humour at the Apostolic Palace on June 14, 2024 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Francis met with more than 100 comedians from around the world, encouraging them to cheer people up and help people see reality with all its contradictions. (Photo by Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

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Whoopi Goldberg, JD Vance and more have paid tribute to Pope Francis after the Catholic Church leader died on Monday at the age of 88.

Vatican officials confirmed the Pope’s death, with Cardinal Kevin Farrell saying in a statement: “His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalized.”

Francis had been experiencing health issues lately, having been hospitalized in February with bronchitis, which led to double pneumonia and several respiratory crises. However, he was released from the hospital on March 23 and came out of convalescence on Easter Sunday to bless thousands of people on St. Peter’s Square.

Goldberg, who met the Pope in 2023 and again last year, wrote on Instagram that “he was the closest in a long time that seemed to remember that Christ’s love enveloped believer and none [sic] believer. He felt more like Pope John the 23rd who made belief real. Sail on Pope Frances [sic] with your love of humanity & Laughter.”
Russell Crowe, who met Pope Francis in 2014, paid tribute on X alongside a photo of the Rome skyline. “A beautiful day in Rome, but a sad day for the faithful,” he wrote. “RIP Francis.”

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who met with Francis on Easter Sunday and was the last government official to visit him, wrote on X that his “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,” he added, linking to a prayer the Pope presided over in March 2020. “It was really quite beautiful.”

The White House’s official X account then posted photos of U.S. President Donald Trump and Vance with the Pope alongside the caption, “Rest in Peace, Pope Francis.” Trump later added his own statement on Truth Social: “Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!”

King Charles and Queen Camilla were also among the pope’s last high-profile visitors, having met with Francis two weeks ago. In a statement issued by Buckingham Palace (via the BBC), the King said that he and Camilla are “deeply saddened” by his death.

“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,” the statement continued. “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. 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.”

French President Emmanuel Macron also remembered Pope Francis, writing on his social media: “From Buenos Aires to Rome, Pope Francis wanted the Church to bring joy and hope to the poorest. May it unite people with each other and with nature. May this hope continually revive beyond him. My wife and I send our thoughts to all Catholics and to the grieving world.”