“A great servant of humanity”: Monaco mourns Pope Francis
Pope Francis died at the age of 88 on Monday 21 April © Prince's Palace
The entire Principality is mourning the loss of the Sovereign Pontiff, who died on Easter Monday at the age of 88. Prince Albert II spoke of a shared “immense sorrow”.
Pope Francis died at 7.35 am on Easter Monday 21 April 2025 at the age of 88, in his Vatican residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae. According to the official medical report, he died of a stroke followed by a coma and heart failure.
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Francis was elected in 2013, the first Latin American and Jesuit pope in history. His last public appearance was at the Urbi et Orbi blessing on Easter Sunday, the day before he passed away. His sudden death triggered a period of mourning worldwide, and the organisation of his burial, which will take place in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, in keeping with this wishes.
The sorrow of Prince Albert II
In an emotional official statement, Prince Albert II expressed “immense sorrow and profound grief” at the news. On behalf of his family and the entire Principality, the Sovereign expressed his “most sincere condolences to the Catholic Church and all the faithful, with whom we share immense sorrow.”
“May his tireless message of love, fraternity, peace, faith, justice, mercy, compassion and respect for nature continue to nurture our thoughts and our commitments in the service of the common good, and spread over a world forever marked by his legacy,” declared Prince Albert II, paying tribute to the “great servant of humanity who has just left us.”
Monaco in mourning
The Prince’s Government also sent its “most sincere condolences to the Archbishop of Monaco, the Monegasque clergy and all Catholics in their bereavement.”
The National Council also joined in the expressions of respect and sorrow. In a press release, the elected officials expressed their sadness at a loss that affects the entire Monegasque community.
The Council’s President Thomas Brezzo said: “Our sympathies are with all those who are saddened by the passing of Pope Francis. His humanity and sense of dialogue will have left their mark on all those, believers and non-believers alike, who are sensitive to the fate of the world, and particularly its most underprivileged.”
The Town Hall and members of the Council expressed their “deep sadness” and conveyed their condolences to the Catholic Church and its followers.
His death marks the end of a twelve-year pontificate during which Pope Francis became known for his humility, his closeness to the most underprivileged and his determined commitment to social justice and the environment.