ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered his condolences to the Christian community as the Vatican said Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, had died on Monday.

He was 88 and had suffered a serious bout of double pneumonia this year, but his death came as a shock after he had been driven around St. Peter’s Square in an open-air popemobile to greet cheering crowds on Easter Sunday.

“The passing of Pope Francis is an irreparable loss for the entire world, especially the Christian community,” Sharif was quoted as saying by his office. 

“On behalf of the government of Pakistan and the people of Pakistan, I extend heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the Vatican City, the global Christian community and all his admirers around the world.”

The pontiff had reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during his brief appearance before thousands of Catholic pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Vatican’s open-air Easter Sunday mass. 

Sharif praised Francis for calling for the cessation of hostilities in Gaza, saying it reflected his “deeply humane” character. 

“Under his leadership, the Catholic Church spread the message of love, tolerance, and mutual respect across the world,” he said. 

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope on Mar. 13, 2013, surprising many church watchers who had seen the Argentine cleric, known for his concern for the poor, as an outsider. He sought to project simplicity into the grand role and never took possession of the ornate papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace used by his predecessors, saying he preferred to live in a community setting for his “psychological health.”

He inherited a church under attack over a child sex abuse scandal and torn by infighting in the Vatican bureaucracy, and was elected with a clear mandate to restore order.

But as his papacy progressed, he faced fierce criticism from conservatives, who accused him of trashing cherished traditions. He also drew the ire of progressives, who felt he should have done much more to reshape the 2,000-year-old church.

While he struggled with internal dissent, Francis became a global superstar, drawing huge crowds on his many foreign travels as he tirelessly promoted interfaith dialogue and peace, taking the side of the marginalized, such as migrants.

With additional input from Reuters