Pope Francis’ death mourned globally by Russia’s Putin, UK’s King Charles, France’s Macron

World leaders remembered Pope Francis as “a beacon of compassion”, reacting with sadness after the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics died on Monday.

Britain’s King Charles said he was “most deeply saddened” about the death of Pope Francis, sending his “most heartfelt condolences and profound sympathy to the Church he served with such resolve”.

“His Holiness will be remembered for his compassion, his concern for the unity of the Church and for his tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith, and to those of goodwill who work for the benefit of others,” Charles said in a statement.

Charles, the head of the Church of England, which split from Rome in 1534, and his wife Queen Camilla met Pope Francis in the Vatican earlier this month.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday hailed the late Pope Francis as a “defender” of “humanism and justice”, and praised his efforts to promote dialogue between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches.