Gloria and Emilio Estefan are among the celebrities paying tribute to Pope Francis after he passed away Monday. Gloria and Emilio are no strangers to meeting popes, having met three: John Paul II, Benedict and Francis. Now, much like the rest of the world, the couple is mourning Francis’ death and reflecting on the impact he made. “The legacy that he left was about love and trying to make a better world,” Emilio said. “And that’s how I am always going to remember him and the world is going to remember him like that.” Pope Francis passed away early Monday morning after suffering a cerebral stroke and irreversible heart failure. During his papacy, he stood for empathy toward and, as a child of Italian immigrants himself, was a champion for migrants all over the world. “It’s a great loss. I hope things can get resolved and everybody can come to the states legal and we avoid so much pain that is happening to a lot of families, a lot of people like that. I know it has to be corrected,” Emilio said. “I hope we fix this as soon as we can to give the opportunity and definitely would be better to come legal and to grow up in the states and enjoy the American dream.” During his 12-year papacy, Pope Francis was seen by many as a progressive leader who always tried to make the church more open and welcoming to all. “Rest in peace and power, Pope Francis, you opened hearts and minds and were fearless in your guidance. Thank you for putting love first until your last moments on this earth,” Gloria Estefan wrote in an Instagram post for the pope. Despite Francis being well-known for his humility, Emilio said he was always taken aback by just how down to Earth Pope Francis always was. “He was like a normal person. The last time I met with him we were trying to do a big concert and raise money,” he said. “He was talking to me in Spanish. He was nice. He said he knew a lot of the glorious songs from Argentina. The last time I talked to him, he asked me about soccer in Miami, ‘how was soccer in Miami.'” Despite his health struggles leading up to his death, the pope led Easter Mass on Sunday, the day before his death, showing his deep commitment to his mission until the very end. “That was the kind of human being he was. I bet you he was not feeling well and he still wanted to go out to cheer the people, and kind of like his life, with a great message about giving back and showing people that he wanted to show his love.” During Pope Francis’ three stops in the United States in 2015, Gloria Estefan performed during a mass held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.