Queen Elizabeth greets Pope Francis at the Vatican in 2014. / Vatican Media
In a telegram sent late Thursday, Pope Francis expressed his sympathies and prayed for Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch and the head of the Church of England. She was 96 years old.
“Deeply saddened to learn of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, I offer heartfelt condolences to Your Majesty, the Members of the Royal Family, the People of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth,” the pope wrote in the Sept. 8 telegram to Britain’s new monarch, King Charles III.
“I willingly join all who mourn her loss in praying for the late Queen’s eternal rest, and in paying tribute to her life of unstinting service to the good of the Nation and the Commonwealth, her example of devotion to duty, her steadfast witness of faith in Jesus Christ and her firm hope in his promises.”
Queen Elizabeth II, who ascended to the throne in 1952, saw five popes throughout her lifetime. When she visited Pope Francis in April 2014 at the Vatican, she presented him with a basket of local delicacies and a bottle of Balmoral whiskey — both from the same area in Scotland where she passed away on Thursday. Elizabeth and Francis’s encounter commemorated the 100th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and the Holy See.
Pope Francis closed his message to the new monarch with a prayer for the soul of the queen.
“Commending her noble soul to the merciful goodness of our Heavenly Father, I assure Your Majesty of my prayers that Almighty God will sustain you with his unfailing grace as you now take up your high responsibilities as King. Upon you and all who cherish the memory of your late mother, I invoke an abundance of divine blessings as a pledge of comfort and strength in the Lord,” the pontiff wrote.
In June, Pope Francis sent a congratulatory message to the Queen as the U.K marked the 70th anniversary of her reign.
Elizabeth functioned as the de facto leader of the Anglican Church while queen. During the reign of King Henry VIII, she was given the title “Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England.” She also presided over the inauguration of their General Synods.
She was an outspoken advocate for religious practise, regardless of whether it was Anglican or not. In her Christmas Day address, she advocated for religious unity. In 2012, during the Diamond Jubilee commemorating the 60th year of her reign, she and the Duke of Edinburgh attended a multi-faith event held by the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace.
“Faith plays a key role in the identity of millions of people, providing not only a system of belief but also a sense of belonging. It can act as a spur for social action,” the queen said at the time.
“Indeed, religious groups have a proud track record of helping those in the greatest need, including the sick, the elderly, the lonely, and the disadvantaged. They remind us of the responsibilities we have beyond ourselves,” she said.
In matters of personal faith, the queen was said to have been deeply religious. The Washington Post reported that, according to Oxford University theology professor Stan Rosenberg, the queen had “a deep vibrancy of faith,” and “read Scripture daily, attended church weekly, and regularly prayed.”
In 2010, she welcomed Pope Benedict XVI to the United Kingdom, the first papal state visit to the nation. St. John Paul II visited the United Kingdom in 1982 and met with the queen, although it was not a state visit.