Portrait of Pope Francis at a ceremony in Guatemala on April 21 - Photo: AFP

According to information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, upon hearing the news of Pope Francis' passing, on April 21, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent a message of condolences to the Vatican's Prime Minister, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

On the same day, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son sent a message of condolences to the Vatican's Foreign Minister, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher.

Earlier, in a video statement from the Vatican on April 21, Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88. The news shocked many people, especially the Catholic community around the world, because the day before, the Pope appeared at Easter Mass after receiving US Vice President JD Vance.

It is known that the Pope has suffered from various illnesses during his 12 years as leader of the Catholic Church.

On March 13, 2013, the world witnessed a historic moment when Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina was elected the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church.

With the name Francis, he became the first Pope from Latin America, the first Jesuit and the first to choose the name of Saint Francis of Assisi - a saint symbolizing poverty, peace and protection of nature.

From his first days as Pope, he has attracted attention with his simple style and strong messages of mercy and humility. He has also attracted attention when he has repeatedly spoken out on hot issues of the world, from the war in Ukraine to artificial intelligence and climate change.

He repeatedly called on the Church to "go out of itself" to reach out to the poor, emphasizing forgiveness, accompaniment and love.

The Pope has met many Vietnamese leaders.

Since his election as head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis has met with Vietnamese leaders at the Vatican many times. He has met with two Presidents, a National Assembly Chairman, and a permanent Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam.

During his most recent meeting with Vietnamese leaders in July 2023, Pope Francis affirmed that the Holy See wishes for the Vatican - Vietnam relationship to develop increasingly well.

He also emphasized that the Catholic Church in Vietnam needs to continue to better implement the guidelines of "accompanying the nation" and "good parishioners are good citizens", while encouraging Catholic parishioners and dignitaries in Vietnam to actively contribute to the development of the country and the Church.

Tuoitre.vn

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thu-tuong-gui-dien-chia-buon-giao-hoang-francis-qua-doi-20250422003007692.htm