The Dalai Lama shares his condolences

NPR | By Juliana Kim

Published April 21, 2025 at 9:39 AM EDT

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama attends a long life prayer offered to him by his students and devotees at a temple in McLeod Ganj, outside Dharamshala, India, on Oct. 25, 2023.

The Dalai Lama said he was saddened to hear about Pope Francis' passing.

"His Holiness Pope Francis dedicated himself to the service of others," the 89-year-old Buddhist priest wrote in a letter to the Most Rev. Leopoldo Girelli, according to the Dalai Lama's social media.

The Dalai Lama added, "The best tribute we can pay to him is to be a warm-hearted person, serving others wherever and in whatever way we can."

The Tibetan community in Dharamshala, India, where the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader lives, will hold a memorial service in honor of the pope.

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Juliana Kim

Juliana Kim is a weekend reporter for Digital News, where she adds context to the news of the day and brings her enterprise skills to NPR's signature journalism.