Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, has died aged 88, the Vatican says.

His death on Monday came shortly after a bout of double pneumonia that kept him hospitalised for five weeks at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.

Italy

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni mourned the loss of “a great man, a great shepherd” and expressed deep sorrow.

“I had the privilege of enjoying his friendship, his advice, his teachings, which never ceased, not even during times of trial and suffering,” she said. “We say goodbye to the holy father with a heart full of sadness.”

Argentina

The presidency office “deeply regretted” the death of the first Argentinian leader of the Catholic Church. President Javier Milei, who previously clashed with the pope, praised Francis’s focus on interreligious dialogue, encouragement of spirituality among the young, and focus on cost-cutting in the Vatican.

European Union

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Francis’s life was defined by his efforts to build a fairer and more peaceful world. “He inspired millions, far beyond the Catholic Church, with his humility and love so pure for the less fortunate,” she said.

United States

The White House shared a tribute on social media, writing “Rest in Peace, Pope Francis” alongside a photo of the pope meeting President Donald Trump and the first lady. In a separate post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!”

Vice President JD Vance, who met the pope on Sunday, said: “My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him.”

Russia

President Vladimir Putin expressed his “sincere condolences”, praising the efforts of Francis to strengthen ties between the Russian Orthodox and Catholic Churches. The Moscow Patriarchate echoed the sentiment, saying the late pontiff had played a key role in advancing dialogue between the two branches of Christianity.

France

President Emmanuel Macron praised the late pontiff for his enduring solidarity with society’s most vulnerable. “In this time of war and brutality, he had a sense for the other, for the most fragile,” Macron said, commending his humility.

Brazil

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva hailed Pope Francis for his work on climate change and social justice. “With his simplicity, his courage and empathy, Francis brought the topic of climate change to the Vatican,” he said. “The pope vigorously criticised the economic models that have brought so much injustice to humanity.”

Spain

The European country has declared three days of mourning. Justice Minister Felix Bolanos said in a televised address that the country regrets “the death of a good man and a great pope” and praised Francis’s “reformist” papacy that “will leave a legacy for history”.

Australia

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Francis would be mourned by Australians of all faiths, describing him as “a devoted champion and loving father” to Catholics. “His compassion embraced all humanity,” Albanese told ABC News. “He urged us to hear the cry of the earth and remember all we share.”

Germany

Friedrich Merz, Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting, said Francis would be remembered for his unwavering commitment to marginalised groups. “He was guided by humility and faith in God’s mercy,” Merz wrote on X.

United Kingdom

King Charles said he was “most deeply saddened”, praising Pope Francis’s “compassion”, commitment to unity, and the environment.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed his condolences, saying Francis’s “tireless efforts to promote a world that is fairer for all” would be remembered.

United Nations

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hailed what he called Pope Francis’s historic influence as a voice for peace and human dignity.

“I join the world in mourning the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis, a messenger of hope, humility and humanity,” he said in a statement.

Credit: aljazeera.com

El Salvador offers Venezuela prisoner swap involving US deportees

El Salvador’s president has offered to repatriate 252 Venezuelans deported by the US and imprisoned in his country – if Venezuela releases the same number of political prisoners.

Nayib Bukele appealed directly to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a post on social media.

He said many of the Venezuelan deportees had committed “rape and murder”, while Venezuelan political prisoners were jailed only because they opposed Maduro, whose re-election last year is widely disputed.

Later Venezuela’s chief prosecutor Tarek William Saab criticised Bukele’s proposal. He demanded to know what crimes the deportees were accused of, whether they had appeared before a judge or had access to legal counsel.

The Venezuelan government argues that it has no political prisoners – a claim rejected by rights groups.

In a post on X, Bukele wrote: “I want to propose you [Maduro] a humanitarian agreement calling for the repatriation of 100% of the 252 Venezuelans who were deported, in exchange for the release… of the identical number from among the thousands of political prisoners that you hold”.

He also mentioned nearly 50 prisoners of other nationalities, including US citizens, as part of the proposed swap.

​In recent weeks, more than 200 Venezuelans were sent from the US to El Salvador.

President Donald Trump’s administration accuses them of being members of the Tren de Aragua criminal gang.

Washington pays El Salvador to keep those deported in its notorious high-security Terrorism Confinement Center.