Politicians and religious leaders in Scotland have paid tribute to Pope Francis following his death on Easter Monday. First Minister John Swinney said it was with “deep sadness” he had learned of the Pope’s death, while the Most Reverend Leo Cushley, the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, said he was “deeply saddened”. The archbishop said Francis had “shared Christ’s mercy and compassion to all, especially the poor and the vulnerable”, and “worked tirelessly, often through illness and infirmity, to seek unity in a divided world”. He added: “He called for peace on Earth, may the living Lord now grant him the peace of eternal rest.” His comments came after senior Vatican official Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced Francis’s death on Monday morning, saying he had “returned to the home of the Father”. The Pope’s death at the age of 88 came after he emerged from his convalescence on Easter Sunday to bless the thousands of people in St Peter’s Square in Vatican City. He had recently resumed some official duties after being treated in hospital for pneumonia. Archbishop of Glasgow William Nolan said he shared the “sense of loss of millions of people around the globe at the passing of Pope Francis”. He added that “the whole Church, and indeed the wider world should be very grateful to God for the gift of this Pope”, saying that. while “at times” he had been “controversial”, Francis had been “a blessing for the Church and for wider society”. He continue: “He will be remembered for many things … but his emphasis on the great love and mercy of God and his reminder to the Church that it should always bring God’s mercy and love to all was perhaps his most repeated call”. The Right Reverend Dr Shaw Paterson, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, expressed his condolences to the Catholic Church in Scotland. He urged that the “blessed memory of Francis continue to serve as an example to the faithful people of God in our shared pilgrimage and in our common task of caring for God’s creation”. Speaking about the Pope, he added: “May he rest in peace.” Meanwhile, Mr Swinney posted on X, formerly Twitter, that Pope Francis had been “a voice for peace, tolerance and reconciliation in our society”. The First Minister added: “He brought comfort, assurance and hope to many. May he rest in peace.” Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also said he was “deeply saddened to hear of the death of His Holiness Pope Francis”. “The Holy Father dedicated his life to serving the poor and dispossessed. My thoughts are with Scotland’s Catholic communities and Catholics worldwide,” he said. Holyrood Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone announced that flags will fly at half-mast at the Scottish Parliament as a mark of respect. Posting on social media on behalf of the Parliament, she offered her “deepest sympathy to all of Scotland’s Catholic community on the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis”. Ms Johnstone added: “We will remember his compassion and humanity. As a mark of our respect, our flags will fly at half-mast at Holyrood.” Scottish Green co-leader Lorna Slater said: “Our thoughts are with the Catholic community in Scotland today following the passing of Pope Francis. “His commitment to securing peace for the people of Palestine and tackling the climate emergency even in his last days should inspire those working for peace and justice around the world.” Lorraine Currie, the chief executive of the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) said Pope Francis had been a “truly remarkable pope”. She said his “profound empathy and leadership shed light on the systemic injustices faced by the world’s most vulnerable”. She added: “A passionate advocate for the poor and for the planet, Pope Francis has been a source of tremendous inspiration for SCIAF and our partners across the world. “We will miss him dearly, but he will live on in our hearts and in our work.” Meanwhile Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, the founder of the charity Mary’s Meals recalled meeting Pope Francis on February 3 “at what turned out to be his last major meeting”. Mr Macfarlane-Burrow said: “He was clearly coping with health issues and he was struggling to breathe. But that didn’t stop him passionately telling all of us that ‘nothing is more important than the life of a child'”. He added the Pope had remained in that “intense working session” for most of the day, adding: “He made sure too, that he didn’t leave any of us without a personal warm greeting and a smile that somehow, on every occasion I met him, left me with a deep new feeling of hope and courage.” The Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Most Reverend Mark Strange, offered his prayers to Roman Catholics. He said of Francis: “His generosity and love for all of God’s Creation and his willingness to be open and approachable allowed him to get close to people, and to love and be loved by so many. “The joy on the faces in St Peter’s Square yesterday as he gave the Easter Blessing will be something dearly held as the mourning begins for this remarkable servant of God.”