Kerala unites in grief as leaders mourn Pope Francis' death

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 21 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his cabinet colleagues, and leaders of various political parties in the state on Monday hailed the contributions of Pope Francis and condoled his demise, cutting across political lines.

History's first Latin American pontiff, who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change, Pope Francis died on Monday at the age of 88.

CM Vijayan, Ministers Saji Cherian and Roshy Augustine, Assembly Speaker A N Shamseer, Opposition Leader V D Satheesan, KPCC chief K Sudhakaran, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan, and IUML veteran P K Kunhalikutty were among those who reacted to the Pope's demise.

While Vijayan described him as an ardent advocate for the poor and marginalised, Minister Saji Cherian called him a messenger of love and peace who embraced the oppressed and exploited.

Speaker Shamseer said Pope Francis gave hope to millions through his simplicity, humility, and compassion for the poor.

KPCC chief Sudhakaran announced that the party would observe three days of official mourning as a mark of respect. He said all party programmes scheduled for the next three days, including the KPCC executive meeting on April 23, were postponed.

In his statement, Sudhakaran said Pope Francis was a great humanist who saw all people as equal. He had openly expressed his views on issues ranging from terrorism and refugees to global warming, the Lok Sabha MP added.

"The passing of Pope Francis, who dedicated his personal and priestly life to the well-being of humanity, is a great loss to the world," Sudhakaran said.

LoP Satheesan recalled that even on Easter day, the Pope expressed concern for the suffering in Gaza.

He was a "holy figure" who believed he still had much to do for God's kingdom and dedicated his life accordingly, the leader added.

BJP state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar reminisced about his recent meeting with the Pope at the Vatican and expressed deep sorrow over the pontiff's demise.

"I had the honour of meeting His Holiness Pope Francis a few months ago. It’s a meeting I cherish. I am deeply saddened to hear about his passing. My deepest condolences to all my Catholic brothers and sisters in Kerala, India, and around the world," he said on 'X'.

In a message, Chandrasekhar also noted Pope Francis’s close relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said their meetings reflected shared views on global unity.

CPI(M) leader M V Govindan said, "With the demise of Pope Francis, we have lost a great humanitarian who spread the light of peace and compassion across the world." He added that the Pope played a significant role in popularising the Catholic Church globally and was a champion of the poor and helpless who brought progressive reforms to the Church.

Sharing similar sentiments, IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty described Pope Francis as someone who raised his voice for the marginalised and those suffering around the world. PTI LGK SSK KH