Multiple European leaders, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, his successor Friedrich Merz and Polish President Andrzej Duda, mourned the death of Pope Francis on Monday.
Meloni expressed "deep sadness" at the loss of a "great man and a great pastor" and promised to respect his wish to "seek the path of peace, pursue the common good and build a more just and equitable society." Duda called the late pope "a great apostle of Mercy, in which he saw an answer to the challenges of the modern world."
Merz expressed "great sadness" and noted Pope Francis will be "emembered for his tireless engagement for the weakest in society, for justice and reconciliation," while Scholz said the world lost "an advocate for the weak, a reconciling and a warm-hearted person."
