Keir Starmer and King Charles pay tribute to Pope Francis
Leaders from across the UK including the Prime Minister and King Charles have been paying tribute to Pope Francis, who has died at the age of 88.
He was selected to serve as pontiff in 2013 and was the first to choose the name Francis. He went on to influence millions and met with many of the civil and political leaders of the UK.
King Charles, who met with Pope Francis earlier this month, led tributes from UK leaders, calling the pope a “faithful follower of Jesus Christ”.
Pope dies latest: King leads tributes from around the world
He said: “My wife and I were most deeply saddened to learn of the death of Pope Francis. Our heavy hearts have been somewhat eased, however, to know that His Holiness was able to share an Easter Greeting with the Church and the world he served with such devotion throughout his life and ministry.
“His Holiness will be remembered for his compassion, his concern for the unity of the Church and for his tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith, and to those of goodwill who work for the benefit of others.
“His belief that care for Creation is an existential expression of faith in God resounded with so many across the world. Through his work and care for both people and planet, he profoundly touched the lives of so many.
Pope Francis met with King Charles and Queen Camilla during a private audience at the Vatican earlier this month. Pic: Reuters
The King continued: “The Queen and I remember with particular affection our meetings with His Holiness over the years and we were greatly moved to have been able to visit him earlier in the month.
“We send our most heartfelt condolences and profound sympathy to the Church he served with such resolve and to the countless people around the world who, inspired by his life, will be mourning the devastating loss of this faithful follower of Jesus Christ.”
Sir Keir Starmer has also paid tribute to the pontiff and said he joined “millions around the world in grieving” his death.
The Prime Minister added: “His leadership in a complex and challenging time for the world and he church was often courageous, yet always came from a place of deep humility.
“Pope Francis was a pope for the poor, the downtrodden and the forgotten. He was close to the realities of human fragility, meeting Christians around the world facing war, famine, persecution and poverty. Yet he never lost the faith-fuelled hope of a better world.
“That hope was at the heart of his papacy. His determination to visibly live out his faith inspired people across the world to see afresh the church’s teachings of mercy and charity.
He added: “With his death, we are reminded once more of his call to care for one another across different faiths, backgrounds, nations and beliefs.
“My thoughts are with Catholics across the world, and the Roman Catholic Church.
“May His Holiness Rest in Peace.”
Pope Francis waves at the end of the Palm Sunday mass at Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican in 2016. Pic: Reuters
He spent his “final Easter yesterday bearing witness to the faith he devoted his life to”, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said.
The Leader of the Opposition added that Pope Francis was “a quiet presence at a time when the world needed humility, courage and conviction.”
She wrote: “His death on Easter Monday feels especially poignant. He reminded us that leadership isn’t about power, but about service.
Ms Badenoch, whose husband is Catholic, added: “When I met him in 2022, he spoke warmly of the UK and the values we share.
“In a world that too often turns away from faith, he stood firm. May he rest in peace.”
Sir Ed Davey called the pope’s passing a “profound loss to millions across the world”.
The Liberal Democrat leader said: “He was a leader of compassion and courage, speaking up for those in need and calling for peace in a world too often divided.
“His influence reached far beyond the Church. He offered hope by reminding us of strength in kindness and faith.
“We should remember his example: stand up for what’s right, care for others, and hold onto compassion and hope.”
Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, remarked that he met Pope Francis and “liked him very much”.
He said his “sympathies go out to all in the Catholic Church following the death of Pope Francis”.
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Tributes were also paid to the pope from the leaders of the UK’s devolved administrations.
John Swinney, the First Minister of Scotland, said it was with “deep sadness” that he heard the news of the pope’s passing.
“He was a voice for peace, tolerance and reconciliation in our society”, the SNP leader said.
“He brought comfort, assurance and hope to many. May he rest in peace”, Mr Swinney concluded.
In Wales, First Minister Eluned Morgan said: “It is with great sadness that we hear of the death of His Holiness Pope Francis this morning.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with our Catholic community in Wales and around the world at this very difficult time.”
Former prime minister Sir Tony Blair, who converted to Catholicism after leaving office, also paid tribute to the pope.
He said: “Pope Francis was an extraordinary and devoted servant of the Catholic Church, admired both within and beyond it for his humility, compassion, and unwavering commitment to the Christian faith and the service of all humanity – Christian and non-Christian alike.”
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Starmer and Zelenskyy discuss ending Russia’s ‘brutal war’ – as Putin says says he is open to bilateral talks on longer ceasefire
Sir Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke about ending Russia’s “brutal war” on Ukraine in their latest phone call on Easter Monday, as Vladimir Putin said he was open to bilateral talks.
The prime minister and Ukrainian president spoke on Monday afternoon, when Sir Keir “reiterated his iron-clad support for Ukraine“.
A Downing Street spokesperson added that the prime minister “said that the UK supports Ukraine’s calls for Russia to commit to a full ceasefire and that now is the time for Putin to show he is serious about ending his brutal war”.
“They discussed the latest developments on the Coalition of the Willing, and looked forward to further progress towards a just and lasting peace,” the spokesperson added.
Mr Zelenskyy later said on social media that he had a “good and detailed conversation” with the prime minister, and added Ukrainian officials will be in London for talks on ending the war with Russia on Wednesday.
“We are ready to move forward as constructively as possible, just as we have done before, to achieve an unconditional ceasefire, followed by the establishment of a real and lasting peace,” he added.
The Ukrainian president added that the 30-hour Easter truce, which both Kyiv and Moscow accuse the other of violating, showed that Russia “are prolonging the war”.
It comes as Mr Putin proposed bilateral talks with Ukraine on a longer ceasefire, which would mark the first time Russia held such talks since a failed peace deal soon after the invasion in 2022.
Speaking to a state TV reporter, the Russian president said: “We always have a positive attitude towards a truce, which is why we came up with such an initiative (the Easter truce), especially since we are talking about the bright Easter days.”
When asked about Mr Zelenskyy’s calls to extend the 30-hour ceasefire into a 30-day pause on civilian targets, he added: “This is all a subject for careful study, perhaps even bilaterally. We do not rule this out.”
The Ukrainian president said on Sunday evening that the Russian army had “violated Putin’s ceasefire more than 2,000 times” during the day, and accused Russia of “failing” to “uphold its own promise of a ceasefire”.
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From Saturday: Why Putin offered an Easter truce?
It also comes after Donald Trump has said he hopes Russia and Ukraine “will make a deal this week,” after he and his secretary of state Marco Rubio warned that the US will walk away from efforts to broker a peace deal unless there are clear signs of progress soon.
The US president said on his Truth Social platform that both countries would “start to do big business” with the US after ending the war.
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Last month, Ukraine accepted Mr Trump’s proposal for a 30-day truce, but Mr Putin refused to back a full 30-day ceasefire, saying crucial issues of verification had not been sorted out.
He then said he would agree not to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. However, both sides have accused each other of breaking the moratorium on attacks on energy targets and at sea.
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