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Both leaders mentioned the Pope's visit to Canada and the apology he offered to First Nations people regarding residential schools
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By Chris Knight
Published Apr 21, 2025
Last updated 17hours ago
4 minute read
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The death of Pope Francis has elicited response from politicians and world leaders across the planet. And in the midst of a national election that is just one week away, two of Canada’s federal leadership hopefuls are also of the same faith as the deceased pontiff.
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Carney and Poilievre are both Catholic. Here’s how they reacted to the Pope’s death Back to video
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Early Monday morning, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre released a statement on X offering his “deepest condolences to all Catholics on the passing of Pope Francis.”
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— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) April 21, 2025I offer my deepest condolences to all Catholics on the passing of Pope Francis.
His humility, compassion, and steadfast faith had a profound impact on millions of Canadians and others around the world from every faith background.
We remember especially his historic “penitential…
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“His humility, compassion, and steadfast faith had a profound impact on millions of Canadians and others around the world from every faith background,” Poilievre wrote. “We remember especially his historic ‘penitential pilgrimage’ to Canada, when he sought to begin a process of Reconciliation by the Church with his apology ‘for the evil committed by so many Christians against the Indigenous Peoples.'”
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He added: “We join in thankful prayer with the Catholic faithful for his legacy of humble service and his message of love that will continue to inspire a world in need of hope.”
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Poilievre was raised Roman Catholic, and last June visited three Toronto-area evangelical churches in Liberal-held ridings on the same day to deliver short political speeches.
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He also released a statement through the Conservative Party web site on April 2, which is officially Pope John Paul II Day in Canada, celebrating the life of the former pope. He referred to that pontiff as “one of the truly consequential figures of the twentieth century: a moral leader, a head of state and an inspiration to freedom-loving people across the globe.”
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Mark Carney, in his role as Prime Minster, released a statement on X in which he referred to Francis as “a shepherd of deep moral clarity, spiritual courage, and boundless compassion.”
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My statement on the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis: pic.twitter.com/d9FHVRr0ye
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) April 21, 2025
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He added: “I had the privilege of working alongside His Holiness and his team through the Council for Inclusive Capitalism, and I saw firsthand his unwavering commitment to placing human dignity at the centre of our economic and political systems.”
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He noted that a challenge issued by Francis at a Vatican meeting in 2014 had guided hm ever since. “He likened humanity to wine — rich, diverse, full of spirit — and the market to grappa — distilled, intense, and at times disconnected. He called on us to ‘turn grappa back into wine,’ to reintegrate human values into our economic lives.”
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In his March 9 victory speech as newly elected Liberal leader, Carney also mentioned a fellow parishioner, noting: “Bob goes to my church,” before adding: “Actually, I go to Bob’s church because he’s there far more often than I am.”
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Carney spoke of Francis during a visit to the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown on Monday morning.
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“Pope Francis was a voice of moral clarity, spiritual courage and boundless compassion,” he said. “He was, in many respects, the world conscious, never hesitating to challenge the powerful on behalf of the vulnerable.”
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Carney also noted: “His Holiness understood and taught that value in the market must never eclipse the values of society. He wrote about the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor, reminding us that ecological degradation and social injustice are deeply entwined. In his papal visit to Canada in 2022, his apology on residential schools was a crucial step in moving the church … forward in its journey towards meaningful reconciliation.”
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New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh released a statement in which he said: “Pope Francis showed the world that faith can be a powerful force for justice.”
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He added that Francis “spoke plainly about poverty, inequality, and the climate crisis — and he challenged political and economic leaders to put people before profits. He didn’t just preach humility and compassion — he lived it. And in doing so, he earned the respect of millions, including many far beyond the Catholic Church.”
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In her own statement on X, Green Party co-leader Elizabeth May wrote: “The human family has lost a great servant leader,” adding: “Yesterday as a non-Catholic I rejoiced that he made a public appearance. To his last breath he called for peace in Gaza, for human rights in the U.S. #LaudatoSi called for climate action. Grief for the world. #RIP”
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The human family has lost a great servant leader - #PopeFrancis Yesterday as a non-Catholic I rejoiced that he made a public appearance. To his last breath he called for peace in Gaza, for human rights in the US. #LaudatoSi called for climate action. Grief for the world. #RIP
— Elizabeth May (@ElizabethMay) April 21, 2025
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“Laudato Si” is Italian for Praise Be To You, and refers to a 2015 letter from Francis, subtitled “on care for our common home,” in which the Pope criticizedconsumerism,irresponsible economic development, andenvironmental degradation, calling on all people to take “swift and unified global action.”
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