New Delhi, April 21 -- The Prime Minister Narendra Modi today condoled the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. He hailed him as beacon of compassion, humility and spiritual courage.

He wrote in a post on X:

"Deeply pained by the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. In this hour of grief and remembrance, my heartfelt condolences to the global Catholic community. Pope Francis will always be remembered as a beacon of compassion, humility and spiritual courage by millions across the world. From a young age, he devoted himself towards realising the ideals of Lord Christ. He diligently served the poor and downtrodden. For those who were suffering, he ignited a spirit of hope.

I fondly recall my meetings with him and was greatly inspired b...