The Government declares three days of official mourning for the death of Francis, “a good man and a great Pope”

Eduardo González The Government has declared three days of official mourning, from this Tuesday at midnight until Thursday the 24th at midnight, for the death of Pope Francis, according to an official statement from the Moncloa Palace by the Minister of the Presidency, Justice and Parliamentary Relations, Félix Bolaños. Jorge Maria Bergoglio, Pope Francis, died this Monday at the age of 88 as a result of a stroke, following the bilateral pneumonia he was diagnosed with on February 14, just one day after giving the Urbi et Orbi Blessing on the Vatican balcony. As tradition dictates, the Pope's death was announced by the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell: "Dear brothers and sisters, with profound sorrow I must announce the passing of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the Father's house. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we entrust the soul of Pope Francis to the infinitely merciful love of the Triune God." The King and the Government After “receiving with profound sadness the news of the death of His Holiness Pope Francis,” King Felipe VI sent a telegram of condolence to Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the Sacred Cathedral College, to convey, on behalf of himself, the Government, and the Spanish people, his “deepest condolences.” Pope Francis, the telegram continues, “has borne witness throughout his Pontificate to the importance that love of neighbor, fraternity, and social friendship have for the world of our century.” “We will always continue to be inspired by his conviction in the need to bring encouragement and comfort to the poorest and most needy, and by the importance he placed on dialogue and consensus to achieve a more just and united world,” it adds. “In the face of the sorrow for his loss, the Queen and the entire Royal Family join me in conveying to the entire Catholic Church our condolences and affection, as well as our prayers for his eternal rest,” it concludes. According to the Royal Household, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, accompanied by Queen Sofía, will visit the Apostolic Nunciature in Spain this Tuesday to sign the book of condolences. "I regret the passing of Pope Francis," declared the President of the Government Pedro Sánchez via social media. "His commitment to peace, social justice, and the most vulnerable leaves a profound legacy. May he rest in peace," he added. "My condolences to Catholics in Spain and around the world on the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis," wrote Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares via social media. "A man of peace and dialogue between cultures and religions. May he rest in peace," he added. “A good man has died, a great pope has died,” said Félix Bolaños during the reading of an institutional declaration on behalf of the government. “Francis dedicated his life to the weak, to those who have nothing and to those who need everything. He was a pope characterized by his fight against inequality and injustice, his fight against climate change, and his concern for all those on the periphery,” he continued. “He was an active pope in the defense of human rights and international law. He always showed interest in migrants, victims of trafficking, the war in Ukraine, the conflict in Palestine, and any armed conflict that ravages the planet,” Bolaños added. The minister also recalled the two occasions he was received by Jorge Maria Bergoglio (in 2022, to address sexual abuse in the Church and the situation of migrants, and in 2024, during the canonization of 14 people, including seven Spanish Franciscans). “In the meetings we have had with His Holiness, we have been able to confirm his sympathy and affection for Spain. He knew the reality of our country perfectly. He loved us, and we loved him and what his papacy meant. The Pope's humanist, supportive, and reforming legacy will endure forever. With his papacy, the Church has embarked on a path that must continue,” he concluded. Sumar, Podemos, PP and Vox “A Pope committed to the fight against climate change, decent work, social justice, peace, and the rights of migrants has died. A Pope who fought against abuses within the Catholic Church. His successor must follow his path and his work. Rest in peace,” Sumar, the minority party in the coalition government, wrote on the social media platform Bluesky. “Pope Francis has been a great ambassador for decent work, peace, and social justice. He used his position to promote a better world. He taught me that hope never disappoints, and his courage still endures. We will heed his advice: we will not let up. We will always remember him,” wrote Yolanda Díaz, Second Vice President of the Government and leader of Sumar. For her part, Podemos MEP and former minister Irene Montero stated through X that “Pope Francis did something unusual: he used his power against inequality, genocide, for peace. With his final words, he rejected Trump's immigration policy. May the earth be light on the Pope who opened a rift in the Church's complicity with the owners of the world.” Ione Belarra, leader of Podemos and also a former minister, recalled a text from the Gospel of Matthew: “I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me. When did we see you hungry and feed you? Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it to me.” “May the earth be light on Pope Francis,” she added. The president of the People's Party (PP), Alberto Núñez Feijóo, also mourned the death of Pope Francis. “The Pope who spoke Spanish and was on the verge of making a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela served the world and the Church through his convictions and thoughts until his very last moment,” he wrote. “We join in the prayers of millions of Catholics for the soul of Pope Francis. May he Rest in Peace,” Vox leader Santiago Abascal wrote on X. No visits to Spain In his twelve years as Pontiff, Pope Francis has not visited Spain at any time. In March 2013, after assuming the Pontificate, he announced that he would not make many international trips due to his age. However, the Pope made 47 international trips to 66 different countries, but never traveled to Spain. Nor did he travel to his native Argentina, in this case to avoid its political exploitation. In 2019, during a trip to Morocco, he explained to the journalists accompanying him that he would only travel to Spain "when there is peace," without further details. "You all have to come to an agreement first," he declared later that same year, during a flight to the United Arab Emirates. The Pope never explained what he meant by these words, but 2019 was particularly marked by the double call for general elections, which forced the maintenance of a caretaker government for most of the year, and by the diplomatic friction between Spain and the Vatican after the government approved the exhumation of dictator Francisco Franco's remains from the Valley of the Fallen and after the then Vatican nuncio, Monsignor Renzo Fratini, told the Europa Press agency that, with the decision to exhume the former dictator, "Franco had been resurrected." Following accusations of "interference" by the government, the Holy See distanced itself from the nuncio's statements and expressed its "full respect" for "the sovereignty of the Spanish State and its legal system." In any case, the Pope (who had already announced in March 2013, after assuming the Pontificate, that he would not make many international trips due to his age) continued to avoid visiting Spain in the following years. In 2023, during an interview with the magazine Vida Nueva, he declared: "I'm not going to go to any large country in Europe until I've finished with the small ones." However, Spain has been, along with Germany, the only "large country" in Europe that the Pontiff has not visited, despite invitations to do so, for example, to visit Santiago de Compostela for the Holy Year, or Ávila for the fourth centenary of the canonization of Saint Teresa. In October 2020, Pedro Sánchez announced in Rome his intention to take advantage of his upcoming audience at the Vatican to invite Pope Francis to visit Spain "whenever possible." Likewise, the Prime Minister took advantage of another audience with the Pope in Rome in October 2024 to invite him to visit Spain in 2025, specifically the Canary Islands, to "learn about the reality of the Canarian people" due to the arrival of migratory flows. The Pope himself later confessed that he had wanted to travel to the Canary Islands, but the truth is that he never did. However, during these years, the late Pope received high-ranking Spanish representatives in audience. The King and Queen visited the Vatican and were received in audience by the Pope in June 2014, on his first trip abroad after ascending to the Throne. Francis also received Don Felipe and Doña Letizia in March 2013, when they attended, as Prince and Princess of Asturias, the beginning of his pontificate. The Pontiff also received Pedro Sánchez in audience in October 2020 and 2024, and Yolanda Díaz also on two occasions, in December 2021 and February 2024. Condolences from the European Union “Today, the world mourns the passing of Pope Francis. He inspired millions, far beyond the Catholic Church, with his humility and his pure love for the less fortunate. My thoughts are with all those who feel this profound loss. May they find solace in the knowledge that Pope Francis’ legacy will continue to guide us all toward a more just, peaceful, and compassionate world,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted on her official X account. “Europe mourns the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. His infectious smile captured the hearts of millions of people around the world. The Pope of the people will be remembered for his love of life, hope for peace, compassion for equality, and social justice. May he rest in peace,” wrote European Parliament President Roberta Metsola. “His Holiness Pope Francis was a compassionate figure, concerned with the great global challenges of our time, from migration to climate change, inequality, and peace, but also with the daily struggles of ordinary people. In his final message for the World Day of Peace, Francis proposed three concrete actions: debt relief, the abolition of the death penalty, and the creation of a global fund for the permanent elimination of hunger. May his ideas continue to guide us toward a future of hope. May he rest in peace,” declared the President of the European Council, António Costa, via social media. Other condolences The director of the Instituto Cervantes, Luis García Montero, wrote on social media that Pope Francis “leaves a profound legacy with his firm defense of the disadvantaged and his commitment to peace.” “It is very important to defend Spanish,” the Pope told García Montero when he received him in audience on September 19, the director recalled. The Instituto Cervantes also announced this Monday that it will publish a book of short stories with a prologue by writer Jorge Luis Borges, written by students the Pope taught in Argentina when he was a literature professor. According to the Instituto Cervantes, Bergoglio, who was born in Buenos Aires in 1936, declared himself an admirer of the author of “The Aleph” and of Federico García Lorca. The Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo, expressed his “deepest felt condolences on the passing of His Holiness the late Pope Francis”. “Alongside the rest of the world, I was shocked to hear the news as he seemed to be recovering well yesterday when he delivered his Easter message,” he added. “I had the privilege to meet with His Holiness on two separate occasions, and he was truly a remarkable person. His lasting legacy will be one of love and kindness,” he concluded. For its part, the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain (FCJE) deeply lamented “the death of Pope Francis, just after the conclusion of Holy Week and the celebration of the joy of Easter Sunday, one of the most important dates in the Catholic calendar.” “The news came as a great surprise to us, as we saw the Holy Father fulfilling his agenda in recent days and, specifically, yesterday, Sunday, condemning antisemitism,” it added. In his last international meeting, the Pope received the Vice President of the United States, James D. Vance, at the Vatican this Sunday, with whom he discussed "the international situation, especially countries marked by war, political tensions, and difficult humanitarian situations, with special attention to migrants, refugees, and prisoners," according to the Holy See.

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