St. Kitts & Nevis’ Prime Minister, the Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew, issued a statement on Monday April 21^st on the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis.

Pope Francis was the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church. He was recently discharged from hospital after five weeks of treatment for an infection. PM Drew said in his statement “we mourn the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis, who died peacefully at the age of 88 on Easter Monday at his residence in the Vatican.”

The Prime Minister added “his election as the first Latin American and Jesuit pontiff in over a millennium brought deep hope and pride to Catholics throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, including here in Saint Kitts and Nevis…To our Catholic faithful in Saint Kitts and Nevis, we extend our deepest sympathies as we honour his memory.”

Nevis’ Premier, the Hon. Dr. Mark Brantley, said on social media “I extend deepest condolences to the Catholic community here at home and across the world on the passing of Pope Francis. His life of Christian service provided a beacon of hope in an increasingly hostile and difficult world. May his soul rest in eternal peace.”

Leader of the People’s Labour Party (PLP), the Hon. Dr. Timothy Harris, mentioned in a statement “his voice for the poor and marginalized resonated across faiths and cultures, making him a truly global spiritual leader… May the soul of Pope Francis rest in peace.”