President Donald Trump remembered Pope Francis during the White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday.
Trump spoke briefly before joining the festivities with first lady Melania Trump and the Easter Bunny, saying he was honored to sign an order to fly flags at half-staff nationwide in remembrance of the late pope.
“I just signed an executive order putting the flags of our country, all of them, all federal flags and state flags, at half mast in honor of Pope Francis. He was a good man, worked hard, he loved the world, and it’s an honor to do that,” Trump said.
Trump also paid his respects to Pope Francis and offered condolences to those who loved him earlier in the morning.
“Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!” the president wrote in a Truth Social post.
The Vatican announced that the pope had passed at 88 years old in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta early Easter Monday. He had been ill in recent months, having been hospitalized with double pneumonia for five weeks from February into March.
On Easter Sunday, Pope Francis met with Vice President JD Vance and made a surprise visit to St. Peter’s Square for blessings.
Vance offered condolences to Christians worldwide on Monday morning.
“I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him,” Vance wrote in a post on X.
“I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful,” he added. “May God rest his soul.”
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