Jakarta (ANTARA) - Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka expressed his deep condolences over the passing of the leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, in an Instagram post on Monday.

In the post, Gibran said that with the Pope's passing, the world community has lost a spiritual leader who was gentle, loving, and steadfast in voicing humanitarian values.

"On behalf of myself and the Indonesian nation, I offer my deep condolences for the passing of Pope Francis," he wrote on his Instagram account @gibran_rakabuming.

He also highlighted Pope Francis' legacy in building interfaith relations, caring for the Earth, and defending the oppressed, which will continue to be remembered by humanity.

"May peace be with him and his love continue to be a torch for the world," Gibran said.

Pope Francis, who was widely known for his commitment to humanitarian values and solidarity with the poor and the marginalized, breathed his last at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican at 7:35 a.m. local time on Easter Monday.

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The news of his passing was announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell on Vatican News. Farrell said that throughout his life, Pope Francis had dedicated himself to serving God and the church with faith, courage, and indiscriminate love.

Pope Francis was admitted to Gemelli Hospital in early February 2025 with bronchitis, which later developed into bilateral pneumonia.

His health deteriorated during almost six weeks of treatment, until he was finally discharged to his residence after undergoing 38 days of hospitalization under the care of the papal medical team.

Despite his declining health, the Pope continued to show an unwavering spirit of service, even giving instructions on the simplification of papal funeral rites and approving revisions to the liturgical book Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, which governs papal funerals.

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