Sebastian Yatra, Gloria Estefan & More Latin Artists Remember Pope Francis After His Death

Pope Francis, the Catholic Church’s first Latin American pontiff, died early on Easter Monday (April 21). He was 88 years old. 

“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow, I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, The Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the Father’s house. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His church,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo said in a statement. 

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, Francis became pope in 2013 and charmed the world with his humble personality and concern for the poor. He suffered from chronic lung disease, and in February of this year, he spent 38 days at the Gemelli hospital in Rome for a respiratory condition that developed into double pneumonia.

Following the news of his death, a wave of Latin artists shared their condolences on social media. 

“Rest in peace and power, Pope Francis, you opened hearts and minds and were fearless in your guidance,” Cuban-American singer Gloria Estefan wrote on Instagram. “Thank you for putting love first until your last moments on this earth.” 

“Francisco, you didn’t want to please everyone, but rather to speak your mind and what was in keeping with Christ’s word. What a wonderful way to honor hope. Rest in peace, dear brother,” Spanish crooner Alejandro Sanz noted on X. 

As for Colombian pop star Sebastian Yatra and the account manager of the late Argentine Leo Dan, both shared photos they had of the day they met the Pope, and captioned their posts with a similar sentiment: “vuela alto” (fly high). 

Meanwhile, Puerto Rican rapper Residente shared a photo of a young Francis on Instagram Stories, stating that he is “unrepeatable, special, unique,” while Argentine duo Pimpinela and Argentine pop star Emilia expressed their love and respect, all on their respective Instagram Stories.

The next pope has not yet been named.