Balkan Leaders Express Sorrow After Death of Pope Francis
Source: Balkan Insight
Political leaders and religious officials across the Balkans voiced condolences after Pope Francis passed away on Monday morning at the Vatican at the age of 88.
In majority-Catholic Croatia, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic described Francis as “a man of faith, humility and empathy with the most vulnerable”.
Plenkovic briefly met the Pope on Sunday, a day before his death, after he attended Easter Mass at the Vatican and received his blessing.
“His tireless commitment to solidarity, peace and righteousness inspired millions of people around the world,” Plenkovic wrote on Instagram.
Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina also voiced sorrow.
“As Catholics in Bosnia and Herzegovina and around the world bid farewell to Pope Francis, may his soul forever rest in peace,” said Dragan Covic, president of Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina, HDZ BiH party.
The Croat member of Bosnia’s tripartite presidency, Zeljko Komsic, said Francis’s beliefs will endure.
“Pope Francis will be remembered for his dedication to peace and human solidarity, for his genuine care for people, especially those who were faced with injustice, poverty, and suffering,” Komsic said.
The figurehead of the Catholic Church had been struggling with ill-health for some time. On Sunday morning, Francis was not present for the annual Easter Mass.
Earlier this year, Francis spent several weeks in hospital due to severe pneumonia. At that point, there were already fears for his life, but he was allowed to leave the hospital at the end of last month.
Pope Francis was “a symbol of humility, compassion and tireless commitment to peace and justice”, interim Romanian President Ilie Bolojan said on Monday.
“We learned with deep sadness about the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. In these moments of mourning and grief, I convey my sincere condolences to the Catholic faithful in Romania and around the world, as well as to all those for whom Pope Francis was a spiritual beacon and a source of hope,” Bolojan wrote on Facebook.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama also expressed condolences.
“Farewell, Holy Father, great and unforgettable friend of Albania,” Rama wrote on Facebook.
Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani described Francis as “a voice of compassion, humility, and justice in our time”.
“His legacy will live on in the countless lives he touched. We stand with all those who carry forward his enduring message of hope, peace, and human dignity,” Osmani wrote on X.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic wrote on X that “the world has lost an extraordinary spiritual leader who, through his apostolic activity, spread love, peace and solidarity,”.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis sent his condolences to Catholics in Greece and the world.
“At these hours, our thoughts turn to the Vatican’s worldwide flock. Particularly, in fact, to the Greek community of Catholics to which I express my most sincere condolences. May the legacy of understanding and love left by Pope Francis find the best continuation,” Mitsotakis wrote on Facebook.
Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936, in Argentina. On March 13, 2013, he was elected pope, succeeding Benedict XVI, who had resigned a few weeks earlier.
He was the first pontiff from Latin American and the first pope from outside Europe since the eighth century.
He visited various Balkan countries, bringing messages of peace and dialogue. He visited Albania and Turkey in 2014, Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2015, Greece in 2016 and Bulgaria, Romania and North Macedonia in 2018.
“I pray for peace and prosperity for Sarajevo and all of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Francis said during his visit to the Bosnian capital, which was besieged for three-and-a-half years during the 1990s conflict. He concluded his speech with the words: “Never again war.”
The original article: belongs to Balkan Insight .
