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Pope Francis and US presidents: A look back at his legacy with the nation’s leaders
U.S. presidents mourned the death of Pope Francis, who served as the leader of the Catholic Church for 12 years, on Monday following the Vatican’s announcement of the pope’s passing.
«Rest in Peace Pope Francis!» President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Monday. «May God Bless him and all who loved him!»
The College of Cardinals elected Pope Francis, 88, to serve as the pope following Pope Benedict XVI in March 2013. His election marked the first time a non-European served as pope in more than 1,000 years. Pope Francis, born with the name Jorge Mario Bergoglio, originally hailed from Argentina.
Pope Francis, who was hospitalized in February due to complications stemming from bronchitis and pneumonia, died Monday at the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta.
Vice President JD Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, met with Pope Francis on Sunday in one of the reception rooms of the Vatican hotel just hours before the pope’s death. Vance acknowledged the visit in a post on X Monday while expressing his condolences to Christians who loved the pope, and shared a link to the transcript of one of the pope’s 2020 homilies.
POPE FRANCIS DEAD AT 88, VATICAN SAYS
Pope Francis receives U.S. Vice President JD Vance, left, before bestowing the Urbi et Orbi (Latin for to the city and to the world) blessing at the end of the Easter mass presided over by Cardinal Angelo Comastri in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Vatican Media via AP)
«My 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,» Vance said in a post on X on Monday. «But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul.»
Trump also signed an executive order Monday ordering all U.S. flags be flown at half-staff on all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels to remember Francis. The order also applies to all U.S. embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including military facilities and naval vessels and stations.
Here’s a look at Pope Francis’ legacy with other U.S. leaders:
Barack Obama
Pope Francis met with former President Barack Obama at the Vatican in March 2014. The two met again in September of the following year during Pope Francis’ visit to the White House, where the pope delivered a statement urging action on climate change. Following his visit to the White House, Francis also visited New York City and Philadelphia.
Obama issued a statement Monday morning lauding the pope for his leadership.
POPE FRANCIS EXPOSES CONFIDENTIAL DETAILS ABOUT HIS ELECTION AND RELATIONSHIPS IN LENGTHY INTERVIEW
President Barack Obama and Pope Francis walk down the Colonnade before meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Sept. 23, 2015.
«In his humility and his gestures at once simple and profound – embracing the sick, ministering to the homeless, washing the feet of young prisoners – he shook us out of our complacency and reminded us that we are all bound by moral obligations to God and one another,» Obama said in a post on X Monday morning.
«Today, Michelle and I mourn with everyone around the world – Catholic and non-Catholic alike – who drew strength and inspiration from the Pope’s example,» Obama said. «May we continue to heed his call to ‘never remain on the sidelines of this march of living hope.’»
Donald Trump
Trump met with Pope Francis in 2017 during a trip to the Vatican, and told reporters later that they had a «fantastic meeting.» However, the two remained at odds with one another over Trump’s border policies for the last decade.
«A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,» Pope Francis said in February 2016 amid Trump’s push on the campaign trail to build a border wall and crack down on illegal immigration.
Pope Francis meets President Donald Trump in the Private Library of the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City on May 24, 2017. (Vatican/Pool/Galazka/Archivio Grzegorz Galazka/Mondadori via Getty Images)
In response, Trump said: «For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful.»
Pope Francis routinely issued similar statements, and in February penned a letter to U.S. Catholic bishops and voiced concern about the Trump administration’s mass deportation plans.
«The act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment, damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families, and places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defenselessness,» Pope Francis said in the letter.
Joe Biden
Former President Joe Biden, the second Catholic U.S. president, visited the Vatican in October 2021, where he and Pope Francis met to discuss topics including climate change and advocacy for the poor, according to a readout of the meeting.
Biden had previously met Pope Francis on several other occasions, including during the pope’s visit to the U.S. in 2015.
Biden also met with Pope Francis in June at the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Apulia, Italy, where the two discussed the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, according to a readout of the meeting.
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Pope Francis meets President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the Apostolic Palace on Oct. 29, 2021 in Vatican City, Vatican. (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
Biden, who awarded Pope Francis the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January, described him as a «consequential» leader on Monday who was a «Pope for everyone.»
«He was unlike any who came before him,» Biden said in a post on X Monday morning. «Pope Francis will be remembered as one of the most consequential leaders of our time and I am better for having known him. For decades, he served the most vulnerable across Argentina and his mission of serving the poor never ceased. As Pope, he was a loving pastor and challenging teacher who reached out to different faiths.»
Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Pope Francis,White House,Vatican News & Updates,Trump’s First 100 Days,Donald Trump
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Trump will attend Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome despite contentious past: ‘Look forward to being there!’
President Trump indicated Monday – following news of Pope Francis’s death – that he and first lady Melania Trump will be attending the Pope’s funeral at the Vatican, despite the president’s somewhat contentious history with the late leader of the Catholic Church.
Traditionally, papal funerals take place four to six days following their death, so Francis’s funeral is expected to take place before the end of the month. Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni told reporters that the General Congregation of Cardinals will occur Tuesday morning, during which an exact date for the funeral should be decided.
«Melania and I will be going to the funeral of Pope Francis, in Rome,» Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social on Monday afternoon. «We look forward to being there!»
POPE FRANCIS’ FUNERAL WILL BE SIMPLIFIED VERSION OF PAST PAPAL FUNERALS, PER HIS CHANGE OF PAPAL FUNERAL RITES
Pope Francis meets President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the Apostolic Palace on May 24, 2017 in Vatican City, Vatican. (Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
Trump’s announcement that he would be traveling to Rome for the ceremony followed a separate announcement he made earlier in the day indicating that he had ordered all American flags on government grounds, including military installments and embassies abroad, to fly at half-staff until sunset Monday.
Trump’s relationship with Pope Francis over the years was one marked by ideological differences and – at times – tension.
Amid Trump’s first run for office, Pope Francis criticized one of Trump’s signature campaign promises of building a wall along the southern border, calling the move «not Christian» in 2016.
POPE FRANCIS AND US PRESIDENTS: A LOOK BACK AT HIS LEGACY WITH THE NATION’S LEADERS
«A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,» Francis told reporters during a mid-flight interview on his way to Mexico in 2016, according to a translation from the Associated Press.
Pope Francis criticized President Trump’s mass deportation plan on Sunday during an interview calling it a «disgrace.» (Photo by TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Getty Images/ Photo by Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
Trump, meanwhile, shot back at the pontiff’s remarks, arguing it was «disgraceful» for the Pope, or any religious leader for that matter, to question another person’s faith.
«If and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, which as everyone knows is ISIS’s ultimate trophy, I can promise you that the Pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been President because this would not have happened,» Trump said in a statement released by his team following the Pope’s criticism. «ISIS would have been eradicated unlike what is happening now with our all talk, no action politicians.»
TRUMP, WORLD LEADERS REACT TO DEATH OF POPE FRANCIS
During Francis’s life he also took aim at increasing nationalistic sentiments around the world, criticism that implicitly targeted Trump’s «America First» agenda.
Francis was also a believer in climate change posing a major problem for society, something Trump also differed with him on. In both Trump’s first and second terms, he has pulled the U.S. out of the international Paris Climate Accords, which is an international initiative aimed at mitigating global warming.
Pope Francis meets the President of United States of America Donald Trump in the Private Library of the Apostolic Palace with his wife Melania, his daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner. Vatican City, May 24, 2017. (Vatican/Pool/Galazka/Archivio Grzegorz Galazka/Mondadori via Getty Images)
Trump, who considers himself a Christian but is not a Catholic, only met with Francis once during his first term. By contrast, Joe Biden, who is a confirmed Catholic, met with Francis in-person on multiple occasions throughout his single-term presidency.
Trump’s Vice President J.D. Vance, a Catholic himself, was notably one of the Pope’s last visitors, seeing him on Easter Sunday – one day before Francis passed.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Pope Francis,Vatican News & Updates,Religion,Politics,Donald Trump
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Su legado y preparativos para el funeral: la muerte del papa Francisco en los medios del mundo
La muerte del papa Francisco permanece como tema principal en los medios más importantes del mundo. A las 7:35 horas (5:35 GMT) el cardenal Kevin Joseph Farrel anunció la noticia y doce horas después, la cobertura en los principales portales del planeta continúa abocada a informar cómo será las próximas jornadas, su legado, y las horas finales del pontífice argentino en Roma.
En Italia, Corriere Della Sera reflejó la información difundida por el Vaticano a cerca de las causas del deceso de Francisco, a raíz de un derrame cerebral que le provocó un infarto una hora después del episodio. También da cuenta del testamento que indicó antes de morir el papa.
La presencia de Trump en el funeral, a realizarse el próximo sábado y el foco en el cónclave para elegir al sucesor del papa, rodean la apertura del portal.
La Repubblica, en tanto, destaca una entrevista a la hermana de Jorge Bergoglio, junto a la historia del sacerdote argentino que llegó a convertirse en Obispo de Roma. También abunda en las características del cónclave que definirá a su sucesro.
El Mundo, de España, informa sobre las reacciones en Buenos Aires en una crónica y da cuenta de los últimos viajes de Francisco. La noticia del ictus (derrame) y sus últimas horas también forma parte de su cobertura. El País, en tanto, recoge las reacciones en la política española, alrededor de la crónica central del fallecimiento.
El diario británico The Guardian retoma las causas de la muerte en la apertura de su portada principal y realiza un anticipo de los posibles sucesores de Francisco como líder de la iglesia católica. Da cuenta además de cómo es la instancia secreta en la que se dará esta definición. Dailymail, por su parte, destaca que en su testamente, Francisco dejó establecido que “un benefactor anónimo” será el encargado de costear su último adiós.
The New York Times informa acerca de los homenajes que tendrán lugar en honor al argentino, y ofrece opiniones acerca del legado del “papa latinoamericano”. También publica el contraste con el pensamiento del presidente de los Estados Unidos Donald Trump, a partir de episodios que cobran valor histórico tras la muerte de Francisco
The Washington Post, en tanto, retrata cómo fue el último día del papa haciendo un repaso por las actividades que cumplió el sumo pontífice en el fin de semana en el que se celebraban las pascuas. También plantea un análisis que explica porque las chances de que sea sucedido por un sacerdote estadounidense son nulas.
El diario francés Le Monde, en tanto, refleja el paso y las condolencias de miles de fieles en la plaza del Vaticano. Ofrece un recuento con 10 frases memorables del papa argentino y ubica entre los contenidos destacados el pensamiento de Francisco sobre el ambiente y “el cuidado de la casa propia”.
“Con profundo dolor tengo que anunciar que el papa Francisco ha muerto a las 7:35 horas de hoy, el obispo de Roma ha vuelto a la casa del padre, su vida entera ha estado dedicada servicio del Señor y de su Iglesia y nos ha enseñado el valor del evangelio con fidelidad, valor y amor universal y en manera particular a favor de los más pobres y marginados”, indicó Farrel en el comienzo de la jornada dando cuenta de la noticia.
Y continúo: “Con inmensa gratitud por su ejemplo como discípulo del Señor Jesús recomendamos el alma del papa Francisco al infinito amor misericordioso de Dios”.
A partir de allí, el tema dominó los encabezados de los medios en en todo el mundo.
Francisco, que había estado ausente en todos los ritos de la Semana Santa al seguir convaleciente tras su hospitalización, había aparecido este domingo en el balcón de la logia central de la fachada de la basílica de San Pedro para la bendición Urbi et Orbi.
Después recorrió la plaza en papamóvil a pesar de sus condiciones de salud, en lo que ahora puede considerarse su último adiós a los fieles.
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Pope Francis’ will details burial request after pontiff’s death caused by stroke: Vatican officials
Vatican officials have shared the will left behind by Pope Francis, which details his burial request, hours after the pontiff passed away from a cerebral stroke that led to heart failure.
«Feeling that the sunset of my earthly life is approaching and with lively hope in the Eternal Life, I wish to express my testamentary will only with regard to the place of my Burial,» the document begins.
Written in June 2022, the will details the pope’s burial preferences, which differ from pontiffs from the past few centuries.
«I have always entrusted my life and the priestly and episcopal ministry to the Mother of Our Lord, Mary Most Holy. Therefore, I ask that my mortal remains rest waiting for the day of the resurrection in the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore,» the document continues.
FAITH LEADERS REFLECT ON POPE FRANCIS’ DEATH, PAPACY AND LASTING LEGACY: ‘MADE HIS MARK’
Pope Francis waves to the faithful during his weekly General Audience at the Paul VI Hall on Feb. 5, 2025 in Vatican City, Vatican. (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
Francis said that he wanted his «last earthly journey to end in this ancient sanctuary.»
The will also asks for Francis to be buried in the earth, «without particular decorum and with the only inscription: Franciscus.»
«I ask that my tomb be prepared in the hole of the aisle between the Pauline Chapel (Chapel of the Salus Populi Romani) and the Sforza Chapel of the aforementioned Papal Basilica as Indicated in the attached annex,» it reads.
He also stated that burial expenses should be covered with the sum of the benefactor whom Francis arranged with.
POPE FRANCIS’ DEATH AFTER RESPIRATORY ILLNESS: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT BILATERAL PNEUMONIA
Pope Francis greets cardinals as he unexpectedly appears during the Palm Sunday Mass in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican, April 13, 2025. (Yara Nardi/Reuters)
«I have arranged, to be transferred to the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and of which I have provided to give Appropriate instructions to Mons. Rolandas Makrickas, Extraordinary Commissioner of the Chapter Liberian,» his will reads.
«May the Lord give the well-deserved reward to those who have loved me and will continue to pray For me. The suffering that was made in the last part of my life I offered to the Lord For peace in the world and brotherhood among peoples,» it ended.
Francis, 88, died Monday morning at the Vatican. Dr. Andrea Arcangeli, the head of the Vatican’s health department, said that the stroke put him into a coma and led to irreversible heart failure, according to an afternoon update from Vatican officials.
POPE FRANCIS REVEALED BURIAL WISHES JUST DAYS AFTER BECOMING POPE IN 2013
Pope Francis waves during an audience with Hungarian pilgrims in Paul VI hall at the Vatican on April 25, 2024. (Fillipo Monteforte/AFP via Getty)
«I certify that His Holiness Francesco (Jorge Mario Bergoglio) born in Buenos Aires (Argentina) on December 17, 1936, Resident in Vatican City, Vatican Citizen, died at 7.35 am on April 21, 2025, in his apartment at the Domus Santa Marta (Vatican City) of: Brain stroke, coma, and irreversible cardiocollaspe,» the report read.
Arcangeli added that Francis also suffered from episodes of «respiratory insufficiency,» as well as his recent bilateral pneumonia. Officials said the pope also suffered from type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
Francis, who had battled pneumonia for weeks before being released from the hospital, faced health complications for many years and had half of one of his lungs removed when he was young.
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He was elected to the papacy on March 13, 2013, and was the first Jesuit to become pope.
The pope’s last public appearance was on Easter Sunday at St. Peter’s Square.
Fox News’ Thomas Ferraro, Alec Schemmel, and Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com
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