Leaders of Canada’s federal parties both reacted to the passing of Pope Francis on Easter Monday.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis passed away yesterday on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88, delivering his final Easter blessing from a wheelchair just a day before his passing.
He died at 7:35 a.m. local time in his residence at the Domus Sanctae Marthae in Vatican City.
The Vatican confirmed that the cause of death was a stroke which eventually led to heart failure.
The Pope’s death comes after a prolonged period of illness and during the final week of Canada’s federal election campaign, with voters set to go to the polls on April 28.
Both Liberal leader Mark Carney and Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who are Roman Catholic, shared remarks expressing respect and admiration for the late Pope Francis.
Poilievre offered his condolences to X, writing: “His humility, compassion, and steadfast faith had a profound impact on millions of Canadians and others around the world from every faith background.”
“There have been countless millions of Catholics, and non-Catholics, that have been inspired by his leadership in faith and other domains,” Poilievre said.
Carney also shared reflections during a speech in Prince Edward Island; “Pope Francis was a voice of moral clarity, spiritual courage and boundless compassion.”
Although Carney is Catholic, he remains unapologetically pro-abortion, a position that distinguishes him from the mainstream Catholic church.
The Pope’s most significant moment in Canada was his July 2022 visit during a “penitential pilgrimage” in response to claims of genocide of the indigenous peoples at the hands of the Catholic church which was primarily embeeded within Canada’s education system in years past.
The rallying cry to the genocide claims where the international headlines around “mass graves”, unmarked, allegedely containing remains of children.
Since the claims were made and elevated by former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, no confirmed mass graves have been uncovered, even First Nations involved in the investigations have only confirmed soil anomalies, yet no verified burial sites.
Excavation efforts have failed to show any human remains.