Federal leaders remember Pope Francis as humble pontiff who moved reconciliation forward [Video]

Canada’s political leaders are remembering Pope Francis as a humble leader with a deep moral obligation and the spiritual courage to help the world’s most vulnerable.

“Today, the world lost a man who profoundly touched the lives of billions of people,” Prime Minister Mark Carney said during a campaign stop in Charlottetown on Monday. 

“Pope Francis was a voice of moral clarity, spiritual courage and boundless compassion,” Carney added. “He was, in many respects, the conscience of the world, and he never hesitated to challenge the strongest on behalf of the most vulnerable.”

Pope Francis died at 7:35 a.m. local time on Monday, the Vatican said in a video statement. He was 88.

His 12-year papacy ushered in a more open, welcoming Catholic Church that prioritized empathy for the poor and disenfranchised — including Indigenous victims of Canada’s church-run residential schools.

“During his papal visit to Canada in 2022, his apology on residential …