Pope Francis death: Key quotes from the late pontiff's papacy

Pope Francis passed away at age 88 after recently surviving a bout of double pneumonia.

Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died at the age of 88, the Vatican said in a video statement on Monday.

Pope Francis passed away at age 88 after more than 11 years in charge of the papacy(PTI)

"This morning at 7:35 am (0535 GMT) the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father," said Cardinal Kevin Farrell in the statement.

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In his last address on Easter Sunday, he said, “There can be no peace without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression and respect for the views of others.”

Here are some key quotes from the late pontiff's papacy over the last 11 years.

• The pope's message for the poor - Three days after his election in March 2013, the pope said, “How I would like a poor church for the poor.”
• On the LGBTQ community - Pope Francis embraced several communities under his papacy, which had previously been shunned by the church. In July 2013, he said, "If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?"

• In 2018 he also told a gay man, “God made you like this and he loves you.” He also stated in an interview in 2023, “Being a homosexual is not a crime.”
• Pope Francis ended every speech with the words, “Pray for me.” When asked about this statement, he explained, “I am a sinner too.”
• During World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, the Pope led a crowd of a half-million young people chanting “todos, todos, todos” (everyone, everyone, everyone) to stress that all are welcome in the Catholic Church.

• On the Russia-Ukraine war: In 2024, Pope Francis said in an interview that Ukraine should have the courage to negotiate an end to the war with Russia. “I think that the strongest one is the one who looks at the situation, thinks about the people and has the courage of the white flag, and negotiates,” he said.
• In 2016, the pontiff said, “Anyone, whoever he is, who only wants to build walls and not bridges is not a Christian,” referring to US President Donald Trump's statements on banning immigrants during his first term in office.
• The Pope also spoke out on economic inequality in the world and said, “The worship of the ancient golden calf has returned in a new and ruthless guise in the idolatry of money and the dictatorship of an impersonal economy lacking a truly human purpose.”
• He added, about the exploitation of the developing world, “The land of the southern poor is rich and mostly unpolluted, yet access to ownership of goods and resources for meeting vital needs is inhibited by a system of commercial relations and ownership which is structurally perverse.”
• The Pope held the cause of migrants particularly close to his heart, and said in 2013, “In this world of globalisation we have fallen into a globalisation of indifference. We are accustomed to the suffering of others, it doesn't concern us, it's none of our business.”
• The Pope also advocated for mercy in the church's judgements, saying, “There is no sin that God's mercy cannot reach and wipe away when it finds a repentant heart seeking to be reconciled with the Father.”
• In November, 2024, the Pope, expressed his sympathy for “those who leave Gaza in the midst of the famine that has struck their Palestinian brothers and sisters given the difficulty of getting food and aid into their territory.”
• He added, “According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide. It should be carefully investigated to determine whether it fits into the technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies.”
• In his last message on Easter Sunday, he spoke about Gaza once more, saying, "I express my closeness to the sufferings... for all the Israeli people and the Palestinian people. Call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace."