Pope Francis recently passed away on Easter Monday at age 88. Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff in history, was well known for his humble demeanour with the public and all those he interacted with. Announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, the official statement read, “Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church.”
About Pope Francis’ Last Appearance
Less than 24 hours before the announcement of his demise, the Pope had been seen in public on the Vatican’s St Peter’s Square for Easter Sunday. He was seen waving from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica to the excited crowds collected below. He kept saying, “Dear brothers and sisters, happy Easter.”
Responses and tributes from celebrities
As the news of the Pope’s demise spread, various celebrities took to different social media platforms to share their opinions and pay their tributes. Various celebrities, like Leonardo DiCaprio and Sylvester Stallone, share their heartfelt messages online to celebrate Pope Francis’s life.
Poll
Do you think Pope Francis’s approach to inclusivity will influence future leaders?
Russel Crowe
Actor Russell Crowe took to social media to share a photo of Rome with the caption “A beautiful day in Rome, but a sad day for the faithful. RIP Francis.”
Leonardo DiCaprio
Actor Leonardo, who had previously met the Pope in 2016 to discuss matters related to the environment and climate change. He shared a post online with photos of him and the Pope, stating that he was “one of the most extraordinary spiritual leaders of our time”.
Whoopi Goldberg
The famous actor and comedian took to social media where she shared a photo smiling alongside the Pope. She shared a heartfelt note and shared the caption, “He was the closest in a long time that seemed to remember that Christ’s love enveloped believer and non-believer.”
Antonio Banderas
While paying tribute to the pontiff, Banderas shared a heartfelt photo of the two of them shaking hands along with a caption that read, “Pope Francis has died – a man who at the head of the Catholic Church showed kindness, love, and mercy to the neediest people.”
Eva Longoria
Actress Eva Longoria, well known for the American drama show ‘Desperate Housewives’, shared a hearty post and recalled a funny anecdote that occurred while she and her husband met the Pope. When the pontiff was preparing to provide blessings to the couple, she had shared that “So he grabs our hands, and he starts the blessing, and I go, ‘We’re divorced! Just so you know. I know that’s a bad thing. I felt like you should know this. We’re both divorced. But he has children, so we can’t get it annulled. It’s a long thing.’”
Sylvester Stallone
In a touching post where he shared the photo of the two of them shaking hands, the ‘Rambo’ actor paid tribute to the Pope with a caption that read, “A wonderful, wonderful man! Rest in peace, holy father!” Both of them had previously met; while visiting the Vatican with his wife, Sylvester had encountered the Pope. During a friendly banter, a moment that went viral showed the Pope playfully throwing a punch towards Stallone, according to Deadline.
Martin Scorsese
The iconic director who used to visit the Vatican frequently shared a statement with Variety. He stated that “There is so much that can be said about the significance of Pope Francis and everything he meant to the world, to the church, and to the papacy. I will leave that to others.” He continued, sharing, “The loss for me runs deep — I was lucky enough to know him, and I will miss his presence and his warmth. The loss for the world is immense. But he left a light behind, and it can never be extinguished.”
Adjoa Andoh
‘Bridgerton’ actress Adjoa Andoh also shared her condolences in the matter. Through an emotional post, the actress shared a photo with the caption “RIP Pope Francis … Within the constraints of his tradition, manifestly compassionate and standing with the marginalised. What a loss.”
The Pope left a major impact on many people’s lives and has been widely praised by a global audience. The pontiff was well known for his thoughts and actions on peace and acceptance. Other than that, he also achieved major milestones during his appointment, as he became the first pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula and to address the joint meeting of Congress in the US, among other things.