Tirana/Skopje, 21 April 2025, dtt-net.com – Leaders of institutions of Western Balkans six countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia) expressed condolences over the death of Pope Francis.
“Farewell, Holy Father, great and unforgettable friend of Albania,” Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama wrote in his Facebook account.
Pope Francis had visited Albania in September 2014 where he was welcomed by thousands in capital Tirana.
“The people of the Republic of Kosovo join millions around the world in mourning the passing of His Holiness, Pope Francis – a voice of compassion, humility, and justice in our time,” Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani wrote in a X post.
Osmani met with Pope Francis in January 2023 at Holy See.
“It is with great sadness that I received the news of the death of His Holiness Pope Francis,” Montenegro’s President Jakov Milatovic said in a X post.
Milatovic met with Pope Francis at Holy See in March last year.
“On behalf of the citizens of Montenegro and on my own behalf, I express my deepest condolences to the Roman Catholic Church and the faithful of the Catholic faith in Montenegro and throughout the world. May he rest in peace,” Montenegrin President wrote.
“The death of Pope Francis constitutes a profound loss for all humanity. As a spiritual leader of our time, he embodied the principles of peace, social justice, and interfaith dialogue, becoming a symbol of devotion to the common good,” the Speaker of North Macedonia, Afrim Gashi, said through Facebook post.
Pope Francis visited North Macedonia in May 2019.
“On my personal behalf and on behalf of the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia, I express my most sincere condolences for this irreplaceable loss for the Catholic world and for all mankind. May his memory be eternal!” Gashi added.
“Pope Francis will be remembered for his dedication to peace and human solidarity, for his genuine concern for people, especially those who have faced injustice, poverty and suffering. His simplicity, humanity, and selfless devotion to evangelical principles have made him one of the greatest moral authorities of our time. His messages of peace and togetherness, which he sent also to our citizens during his visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, will remain a lasting inspiration to all who believe in the values of equality, reconciliation and mutual respect. On behalf of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina and on my own behalf, I express my deepest condolences to the Holy See, the Catholic Church and all who are mourning today. The world has lost a remarkable man, but His deeds and words will continue to live among us. May he rest in peace!”, the Croat member of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BiH) tri-partite presidency, Zeljko Komsic said through Facebook.
Pope Francis had visited BiH in June 2015.
“On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Serbia and on my own behalf, I express my deepest condolences for the death of His Holiness Pope Francis. He was an example of a man of faith and we will remember him as such,” said in a media statement the new Prime Minister of Serbia, Djuro Macut.
