By Kavita Mistry 
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Pope Francis’ Death: Last year, the Pope met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Apulia, Italy
PM Modi with Pope Francis | File Image/AFP
Pope Francis’ Death: Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died at the age of 88 at his residence in Casa Santa Marta, said the Vatican on Monday.
Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the Pope on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Apulia, Italy, where the two leaders shared a warm hug and exchanged pleasantries.
PM Modi invited the Pope to visit India, the home to the second-largest Catholic population in Asia, and praised his dedication to public service. The meeting also included other world leaders, discussing topics like Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa, and the Mediterranean,
Modi, the first Indian Prime Minister to meet the incumbent pontiff since he became head of the Catholic Church in 2013, previously met Pope Francis at the Vatican in 2021, where they discussed a wide range of issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘A Beacon Of Compassion’
PM Modi on Monday expressed deep sorrow over the passing of the Pope and offered condolences to the global Catholic community.
In a post on X, PM Modi shared photos from his meeting with the Pope last year and wrote, “Deeply pained by the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis.”
“Pope Francis will always be remembered as a beacon of compassion, humility and spiritual courage by millions across the world. From a young age, he devoted himself towards realising the ideals of Lord Christ. He diligently served the poor and downtrodden. For those who were suffering, he ignited a spirit of hope,” PM Modi said.
Deeply pained by the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. In this hour of grief and remembrance, my heartfelt condolences to the global Catholic community. Pope Francis will always be remembered as a beacon of compassion, humility and spiritual courage by millions across the… pic.twitter.com/QKod5yTXrB— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 21, 2025
The pontiff, serving as the Bishop of Rome and leader of the Catholic Church, became pope in 2013 following the resignation of his predecessor, Benedict XVI.
In the last few months, he dealt with multiple hospital visits amid growing concerns about his health. He was hospitalised on February 14 for treatment of Bronchitis.
Later, the Vatican confirmed a diagnosis of bilateral pneumonia and revealed he had undergone blood transfusions due to low platelet levels, a condition linked to anaemia.
According to the PMO, India and The Holy See – the Vatican-based government of the Catholic Church – have friendly relations dating back to the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1948.