Many national and state leaders are issuing statements today about the death of Pope Francis. That includes Gov. Mike DeWine, a devout Catholic, and Vice President JD Vance of Ohio, who converted to Catholicism in 2019 and met with the pontiff not long before he died.
DeWine said Francis showed his compassion in his final hours, in public appearances on Easter.
“His compassion for people, his respect for life at all stages, his willingness to speak out is something that, all of those things, I think is very, very positive," DeWine said.
“I think what has stood out is his passion and compassion for all people of the world and particularly those in need of help, for the poor, for those who don’t have a home, for those who are trying to find a home, for the unborn,” DeWine said. “His compassion was all-inclusive.”
In a statement on his state website, DeWine added more thoughts on Pope Francis, saying: "He spread the Gospel up until the very end of his life on this Earth, making a special effort to do so on Easter. Pope Francis brought hope to the world through his compassion for all."
Just hours before Francis died, he met with Vice President JD Vance at the Vatican on Easter. Vance wrote on X that he was happy to see the pope though he was obviously very ill. Vance, who is Catholic but clashed with Francis over the Trump administration’s policies on immigration, shared a homily from Francis from the early days of the COVID pandemic about fear and faith, calling it “really quite beautiful.” He closed his post with, “May God rest his soul."
