Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries released the following statement:

Throughout his historic tenure as the first Jesuit and first Latino to lead the Church, Pope Francis dedicated his time on Earth to uplifting the least, the lost and the left behind. His Holiness truly embodied the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, humbly giving of himself to the poor, the Church and Catholics in all corners of the world. It was a tremendous honor to attend his address to Congress, where he brought together a triumphant, bipartisan joint session of Congress to recognize that each and every one of us has a role to play in caring for people and the planet. 

Just yesterday, Pope Francis called upon us to care for the vulnerable among us in his powerful Easter message calling for peace around the world. In that declaration, His Holiness reminded us that “we were not made for death, but for life.” While the entire world mourns this tremendous loss, may those in the Catholic Church and all who admired Pope Francis take comfort knowing that his moral, visionary and groundbreaking legacy will live on.

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